The Aura Rising Trilogy Book I: Revival
by Gweniveve Skyes
Summary: Sir Aaron's Lucario is revived by Arceus, to fulfill a mission that could mean the end of the world as he knew it. Of course, in order to fulfill his mission, he must take on two roles he never wanted to: Teacher and Human...Eventual Poke, CS, Cav
1. Chapter 1: Rebirth

Revival Chapter One: Rebirth

**In essence, a reboot of sorts of 'Aura Knight'. While certain, yet subtle characteristics are noticeable, this is otherwise a story completely different from its semi-predecessor. 'Aura Knight' was a fantastical indulgence, made for my personal enjoyment. In many ways, it is childish and not the best quality work that I have produced. Maybe one day I'll get back to it, when the story, and my writing skills, have matured enough in order to be rewritten. Until then, I bid you adieu on that story**.

** The idea of 'Revival' came to me in a dream, somewhat. I was on the precipice of wakefulness and sleep, when the idea of Lucario from the eighth movie is revived by Arceus to fulfill a quest, a mission to save the world came to me. From my perspective, this seemed like a totally different and new idea, one that hasn't been explored. I hope you enjoy this story and I eagerly await the commentary from the viewers.**

** Now you'll have to forgive me if I get certain details from the eighth movie wrong. It has been a very long time since I have actually seen it, so my knowledge may be a little rusty. Fortunately, I have 'Bulbapadia' and 'Seribii' to help me get the basic synopsis right. If I continue to make mistakes about the movie, please, let me know and I'll be glad to fix them.**

**Disclaimer time! (...yippie...note the sarcasm): I, Gweniveve Skyes, do solemnly swear that I do not own Pokemon,in any way shape or form. I do however, own the original GameBoy (case and all) and will one day, sell it soon for a bucketload of money to some collector, who will probably place it in some glass case of sorts, where it will collect dust, just like now, only it's not in a glass case.**

**Note: italics stand for both flashbacks and thoughts. I hope you are able to discern which is which.**

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

_ "This is an unusual feeling, dying that is,"_ Lucario thought. It was like being trapped in limbo, the transition between life and death. The last feeling on earth was a simple touch, one that he would treasure as he journeyed from one life to the next. He never asked his master, Sir Aaron, what was beyond this plane of existence, he had never saw a need for it. Now he wished he had. The unknown that surrounded him terrified him, filling him with dread.

He could see himself trapped in a black void, inky shadows swirling and billowing around him. Perhaps he was in the realm of Giratina, the lord of death and all that pertain to it, waiting to be judged, just like every other lost soul. No one knew what happened to those who died. Now, he was about to find out. At least he would be with his teacher and friend, Sir Aaron. After decades of waiting, he would be finally be reunited at last.

Then, the shadows surrounding him and under his feet solidified, slowly at first, then rapidly turning into a stony substance as Lucario found himself levitating above a large stone floor. He flailed for a moment, realizing that he was in the air, and he crashed onto the stone tiles, wincing as he landed heavily on his stomach. Not the most dignified way to land in the underworld, but it would have to do. It could have been much worse. Pain shot through his paws as he braced himself for the landing. The pads of his paws collided with the cobblestone floor now underneath him.

_"Wait, I'm supposed to be dead,_" he realized. _"I wasn't supposed to feel that." _Groaning, he slowly picked himself off the floor and glanced around, trying to get a feel for the place.

_" Remember Lucario, one of the most important things that an Aura Guardian should learn is __to always look before you leap," Sir Aaron said, after one of their lessons._

_ "Look before I leap?" Lucario asked. "But I'm not leaping at anything."_

_ "It's a human expression, my friend. It means to always assess the situation before you go charging in," Sir Aaron explained kindly._

_ "That would make more sense now, sir." Lucario replied. He paused and scratched his head. "Human expressions are quite unusual."_

_ Sir Aaron chuckled and ruffled Lucario on the head, much to the lupine pokemon's indignation. "Yes they are, my friend." He then burst out into laughter at seeing Lucario's expression on his face. The laughter was contagious and Lucario joined him with a few chuckles of his on, uncharacteristic for his oft somber nature._

_ "Looks like the phrase will be in handy," _Lucario scanned the area with his normal vision. The hallway he was in was dark, with very little light whatsoever. Even his vision, much more advanced than humans, couldn't pierce the gloom. Maybe he was in Giratina's realm. Lucario frowned in displeasure and then switched his vision to his Aura Sight. This allowed him to see things around him by their Aura, the force that filled everything and according to some lore, giving pokemon their supernatural powers. He went from left to right, his eyes trying to detect anything with Aura. There was very little, if any Aura at all. The hall, or what he thought was a hall, was devoid of any life. Lucario took a cautious step forward, the soft pads of his feet still stinging from his unceremonious landing. He could feel something in the air, but he was unsure what.

"_I guess I'll keep going," _he thought._ "There is no point of staying here and waiting for nothing." _He stealthily moved forward, eyes wide and wary.

Lucario's assumption had been correct; he was in the middle of a large hallway, made of black unbreakable stone. Veins of iridescent golds,blues, reds, and greens shot through the rock, giving the appearance of black opal, a precious mineral that was highly valued. Thick pillars lined the hallway at intervals of every thirty feet, the sturdy stone supports thicker than many of the ancient trees that dotted the land. _"Where am I?" _he wondered. After some time,-Lucario had no way of tracking time in this place, but it felt long-, he started to feel anxiety gnaw away at him. If this was some type of test for the afterlife, he was failing miserably. The hallway felt limitless, stretching on into the unknown. With no light or Aura to guide him, Lucario felt blind.

"Hello, is anybody there?" Lucario called out, paws to his mouth. "Does any one know where I am?" he was greeted with deafening silence. "Hello? Is there anyone that can help me?"

"Well, it seems that he has arrived." Lucario was greeted with a blinding light, and an Aura so strong, Lucario had difficulty blocking it so it didn't overwhelm his senses. The light receded and Lucario found himself somewhere different than the hallway that seemed to stretched into eternity. It was a massive antechamber, shaped into a circle, with a diameter of at least fifty yards The room was lined with pillars with the same style and build as the ones in the hallway. The opalescent stone was more prominent, filling the room with a light all its own. Four tall doorways lined the room too, presumably to represent the four directions. A large pool sat in the center of the chamber, raised up from the floor. Lucario was awed by the simple elegance of the design and architecture of the place. A man, garbed in white robes with gold trim, stood at the center of the room, studying the pool intensely, his eyes filled with resolve and wisdom, with an unspeakable sadness lurking within.

The man looked up form the pool, his eyes—the shade of a brilliant gold-, stared at Lucario. Lucario looked away, the intensity of the man's stare making him feel small, insignificant. "Hello," the man addressed Lucario forcing the pokemon to look back at him. "I have been waiting for you. Come, step forward my child. I won't bite." He smiled at his own joke, the golden eyes filled with mirth. Lucario ambled forward a few steps, hands ready to release an Aura Sphere if necessary.

"You, you have been waiting for me?" Lucario asked.

"Yes, I have my child, a very long time." The man gestured to a stone bench that circled the pool. "Come, sit with me. You and I have much to discuss."

Lucario paused in mid-step. "Who are you?" he growled, tentative. "What do you want? What am I doing here?"

The man stood up from the black bench and straightened his robes. "I am the one who saved you. The one's who breath created the oxygen you had once breathed. Who's very will shaped the land. I am Arceus, lord of Sinnoh and its inhabitants."

Lucario blanched, mortified at his treatment towards Arceus. He sank to his knees. "I'm, I'm sorry, Arceus."

Arceus walked over to Lucario and placed a hand on the pokemon's shoulder. "Do not be ashamed. You couldn't have known. Come, we have much to talk about." Arceus helped Lucario up off the floor.

"What is this place?"

"This is the Hall of Origins. My home."

"Am, am I dead?"

"You are, but you're not. You're caught in between the two realms, life and death." Arceus made for Lucario to sit by the pool, but Lucario refused, shaking his head. Arceus shrugged and waved his hand over the pool.

The pool was raised slightly above the ground, ringed by the opalescent rock. The liquid in the pool shimmered and glistened, giving the appearance of molten silver, or mercury. Ripples formed where Arceus moved his hand, and slowly, disjointed images formed. The images were confusing, jumbling and shifting as the liquid undulated. Lucario gingerly stepped forward and watched the pool, mesmerized. Then, the images started to grow familiar to Lucario was able to recognize some of them. Places, people, events, all unfolded before his eyes.

Arceus spoke, shattering the reverie. "In two years time, the pieces will fall in place for the tomb of Sir Aaron to be discovered. The missing link to find it will be found, and perused until the reaches of the earth, unless he finds what the tomb holds."

Lucario raised a quizzical eyebrow. " I'm not sure I understand. Sir Aaron didn't have a tomb. He became one with the Tree. There was no body."

"True, but after the war, many believed Sir Aaron to be a casualty of said war. Three generations later, the Queen Eilsa had a dream, and commanded that a tomb for Sir Aaron to be built. She had it built in a place far from the castle, why no one knew, except for her. She died shortly after the tomb was built, and her brother, King Joseph ruled. The King didn't know where the tomb was, and the workers died before they could reveal it. There is an item hidden at the tomb, one that could mean the fate of the world."

"I do not recall any such item in Aaron's possession. What is it?"

"I cannot say at the moment. To do so would put many at risk." Arceus changed the images in the pool once again, showing a young man, traveling. "He is the key to it all. When the time comes, you must teach him in the ways of the Aura Guardians, and protect him from those who wish him harm. Without him, the world may fall into ruin."

"But, sir, I cannot do this. I am but a student myself. I was never fully trained in the ways of the Aura Guardians," Lucario protested. "How can I do something that even I didn't finish?"he shook his head. "I cannot do this task, lord Arceus. I am sorry."

"Have faith in yourself Lucario, or may I call you by your true name? Blaidd? That is why I'm starting now, to give you time to learn." Arceus. "you are the only one meant to do this. You have connections to both the boy and Sir Aaron. We need you to do this."

Lucario stared at the flowing liquid, unsure and afraid. But if Arceus had faith, then he must too. "Very well, I will do it." Even if it meant joining his friend was put off for a little longer.

Arceus nodded. "Thank you. Your sacrifice means much more than you think." The robes flowed away and his body changed to his elegant equine form, the golden rings around his waist reflecting the color of the beast's eyes. "Now, time for a change of attire." The Hall of Origins blurred and started to spin in Lucario's vision. He swayed and became dizzy and fell to the stone floor, his entire world gone black.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Lucario slowly opened his eyes, to find something tickling his nose. He sneezed and white tufts floated in his line of sight. He groaned and slowly sat upright. He was in the middle of a grassy field, next to a small pond. The white tufts that caused him to sneeze were the seed pods from a dandelion. He rubbed his snout, only to find that there was no longer a snout. What was there was flattened, close to his face and soft. He pulled his paw, only to be seeing a hand.

A human hand to be precise, with four long fingers and a thumb, He stumbled over to the small pond, pushing aside the cattails that lined the pond, and gaped at the reflection in the waters. He was no longer a Lucario, but in fact, a human. His hands flew to his face, feeling the bare, tan skin. He had chiseled features and a hawk like nose, giving Lucario a noble, proud look. His eyes were still the same red hue from his natural form. Raven black locks of hair brushed in his face and he blew them aside. Fur was so much easier to deal with it. He staggered upright on his human legs, realizing that he no longer walked on the balls of his feet, instead, he walked on his whole foot, something he knew he would have to get used to.

He took a quick stock and realized that he was wearing something that brushed against his now furless body: clothes. He was wearing a pair of black pants with a red button down shirt. A long dark grey coat completed the ensemble along with a pair of tennis shoes. "I'm a human," he stated, turning his hands over and studying them.

"Astute observation," Arceus remarked, now back in his human form. Lucario whirled around to face him, fury evident on his human features.

"Turn me back, now," Lucario growled, hands glowing a pale blue, the beginning stages of an 'Aura Sphere' attack. He grabbed Arceus by the pokemon god's robes. "I said turn me back! I don't want to be human!"

Arceus pried off Lucario's iron grip. "I can't do that I need you as a human now, not as a pokemon. If you travel the world as a pokemon, you'll be the target of many trainers. Wild lucario are very rare, and some trainers would give up an arm and a leg to have you. Besides, being a human will allow you to fit in better."

"But I don't want to be, be, this!" Blaidd hissed. "I want to be me!"

"I understand your frustration, I really do. But I make this promise to you. Prove yourself worthy in my eyes by fulfilling this task, and I will be more than willing to change you back."

Blaidd narrowed his red eyes. "Promise?"

Arceus nodded. "Promise. Now, begin you're training and I will call for you when the time is nearing." Arceus gave Blaidd, the lucario turned human, a shove towards a copse of trees. "Now go! Prove yourself worthy of the title Aura Guardian!"

**Well, that first chapter went well, didn't it? It's interesting to note that while many stories involve humans turning into pokemon, there is very little that I've seen of pokemon turning (permanently, not like Latios and Latias) into a human. Kind of a new spin on things, don't you think? **

**Lucario's true name, 'Blaidd', is Welsh for 'wolf'. Welsh and Celtic mythology and language has a prominent influence on my work, in many ways and shapes. My real world name is probably the reason why I'm into this sort of stuff. It has two different meanings in two different, yet similar languages, Welsh, and Gaelic, but I won't say anything more on the subject, it'll give my identity away XD. To pronounce 'Blaidd', it sounds like 'Blaith'. A lot like faith, but only with a 'bl' instead of an 'f'. The 'dd' in the Welsh language is sounded out like 'th'. Or, you could just call him 'blade', if you REALLY wanted too. Both sound pretty cool XD.**

**Review and constructive criticism are always appreciated! **


	2. Chapter 2: Resurface

Revival Chapter Two: Resurface

**There are WAY too many pokemon shippings that start with the letter 'P'... I've noticed that a lot of people that have placed this story on 'Alert' are Pearlshipping fans. Now I don't have a problem with that pairing, it is not the pairing here in the story. The eventual pairing is Poke, not Pearl. I apologize for the confusion and if it felt like I misguided you in any way. I assure you, I wasn't. I hope that this does not affect your judgment about the story because of the pairing in it. If anything, keep an open mind, you just might like the story. If not, then I'm not forcing you to read this, or keep it on 'Alert or all that jazz.**

** Thank you. **

_Two Years Later..._

Blaidd shifted uncomfortably in the hot plastic stadium chair, red eyes watching the battle intensely. It was the quarter-final match of the Sinnoh League. Two trainers, Ash of Pallet Town, and Paul, of Veilstone City, were against each other. Blaidd studied Ash, and how the teen had grown up since Blaidd had seen him. It was obvious to see that the young man wasn't pursuing training his Aura, yet it still pulsed strong with the boy, giving Blaidd a glimmer of hope.

"I don't think that Pallet boy stands a chance," a man snorted next to Blaidd. Blaidd could tell that the man was slightly intoxicated, by the way he smelled and his Aura. Over the past two years, Blaiid learned to read Aura, to determine emotions and their conditions. This man's Aura was a dark shade of blue, with strands of a sickly red flickering through the blue, like lightning traveling through storm clouds. Blaidd inched as far away as he could, praying that the wind would change directions, taking the man's wretched smell with him. "His team is weak against that Paul guy. There's no way."

Blaidd raised an eyebrow at the drunkard. "I wouldn't underestimate Ash if I were you. I've heard he's been in the top eight in quite a few tournaments. I heard he even beat a dragonite with his pikachu alone."

"That's bull," the drunkard slurred, the drink in his hand sloshing a bit.

The announcer's voice interrupted his argument. "And it looks like Ash's third pokemon is down, while Paul is still on his second. If Ash is to make a win out of this one, he better start now!" Blaidd felt a twinge of distress as he watched the battle. Maybe it was his pride, but he wished that he didn't see his future student to be lose against this trainer. He stood up, groaning and stretching his cramped muscles. Plastic chairs were not the best accommodations.

The tippler laughed at Blaidd, a grating sound. "What's the matter? Scared that your trainer is losing?"

"I'm going to stretch, and to get away from your wretched scent. You smell like a brewery that's at least three weeks past the ideal fermentation date." The stranger paused and scrunched his face, trying to make sense of the insult. By the time he figured it out, Blaidd had already left the stands. He snarled at the retreating figure and shouted a few choice insults at Blaidd.

The stadium was filled to the brim today, vendors trying to peddle their 'official' Pokemon league merchandise, food stands packed with hungry fans wanting to get a bite. The chaos and noises echoing the concrete hallways were too much for Blaidd, and he found himself in an isolated and relatively quiet area of the arena, much to his surprise and away from the crowds. The area was near the battle stage, allowing him a near perfect view of the battle waging below. He glanced down at his hands. It would be so easy to change the battle, so that it fell in Ash's favor. A little telepathic command here and there and the battle could be easily Ash's, allowing him to advance to the semi-finals.

_"Wait, how could I be thinking of such a thing like that?" _Blaidd thought with horror. _"I've been in human society far too long. There is no honor in changing a battle that is not your own." _he imagined what Sir Aaron would have thought of the idea. His teacher's shame was too much to bear even thinking about. _"It must be my pride talking." _This was his future student after all. He had always been a prideful pokemon, a trait that carried over during his rebirth. To see his future student lose would have been a severe blow to his ego.

He drove that thought from his mind and Blaidd went back to watching the battle, leaning against a concrete support beam. The battle turned back to Ash's favor, and in a close match, the trainer won, narrowly beating Paul's last pokemon. Blaidd felt a surge of pride swelling in his chest, and started to wind his way through the exuberant crowd, hoping to catch a moment or two with the winning trainer.

He shoved his way past the throngs, and found himself swamped by a swarm of reporters and the flashing lights of the camera. Blinking the spots from his eyes caused by the camera lights, Blaidd lost track of the trainer in the mass of spectators. The mass stopped as one of them asked the young man. Blaidd didn't hear much of the conversation, but he caught snippets of it, mainly a 'Hi mom! Hey Misty!', whoever this 'Misty' person was. Blaidd sighed. "So much for that plan. Maybe I'll catch him at the Pokecenter he staying in." Blaidd knew that going to a Pokecenter was a huge risk for him. Pokemon had the ability to sense certain things about people, and deep down, Blaidd was frightened of the prospect of a pokemon discovering his real identity, that of a Lucario. But it was a risk he would have to take.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Ash flopped down on the bed in his room and stretched out like a drowsy glameow; it had been a long day, for both him and his pokemon, which were resting in their pokeballs after a long rest at the Center. Pikachu was racked out, sleeping on its back, snoring lightly. He occasionally twitched in his sleep, lost in some dream or another.

"Hey Dawn, could you pass me the bag of potato chips there?" he asked.

Dawn, who was working on some designs for her pokemon, shot him a look. "You could get them yourself, lazy butt."

"Please? You're so much closer." Ash was rewarded with a bag of chips to the head. "Aw great, now they might be broken."

"They're still chips, you can still eat them."

Brock, who was dozing lightly on the top bunk, groaned. "Will you cut it out? Some of us are trying to rest you know. Ash, you need your rest too. Your semi-final match is tomorrow."

"I'll be fine Brock, my pokemon can handle anything that thrown their way."

There was a knock at the door. Brock flung the pillow over his head. "Jeez," he muttered through the pillow. "Who would be coming at this time of night?"

Dawn got up from the desk she was at. " Fine, I'll get it since neither of you two are going to get up anytime soon." She opened the door. Hello?"

Blaidd shifted anxiously by the door, waiting for someone to answer. The nurse Joy downstairs had been kindly enough to give him the room number. With no pokemon noticing him, he made it upstairs with no trouble at all. Now though, the real task was going to begin. "Hello, my name is Blaidd Wilson." Blaidd began; the last name he took was to assimilate better into human society. "May I speak to Ash Ketchum?

Dawn frowned at him. "Sorry, but it's really late and he isn't taking reporters right now." She replied, a little testily at Blaidd. Ever since the match, the trio had been plagued by numerous fans and reporters. Frankly, Dawn was growing a little irritated at the throngs. Her Grand Festival wasn't even this bad.

"But, I'm not-" the door was shut in Blaidd's face. "-A reporter." he protested meekly. _"Well, _that_ went well," _Blaidd thought. _"I'll have to try again soon."_

XXXXXXXXXXX

The campfire was burning down to cinders as Blaidd sat near it, meditating, connecting with Aura. It was a technique he was taught, to better center yourself with the Aura, allowing for greater access to it. Aura was a complicated force, almost with a life of it's own. True, he had plenty of Aura within him, but he couldn't use it all at once, he could seriously cause injury to himself, or worse, die. Thus, he had to also rely on outside sources, but he had to be careful with that too. He could kill the other sources of Aura, like trees, other pokemon, and other living beings.

_ "To strike a balance between one's self and the outside world is the key." _Sir Aaron had taught him. _"The key to maintaining one's strength without harming yourself or others in the process. One cannot protect the people if you're dead."_

Blaidd could feel the Aura flowing around him, like multiple tributaries flowing into one united whole. The connections were numerous, hundreds in number, and he could sense him losing himself among the 'rivers' of Aura. He jerked himself back to reality. The last thing he wanted was to lose his sanity among the Aura. There had been incidents of apprentices, losing themselves in the flow of Aura, never brought back to reality. They spent their days in in almost vegetative state, their mind with the

'currents', lost until the end of their lives. It was something Blaidd did not wish to experience.

He rummaged through his pack and pulled out a hunk of wood and a handful of tools, and started to whittle away at the piece. It was a hobby he had taken up during his self training. The activity helped him relax, clear his mind, sometimes even better than meditating did. Unfortunately, however, it was a constant reminder of his humanity. A hobby like this would have been impossible to do if he were back in his original body. The wood piece started to take the shape of a rose, each intricate petal of the flower slowly coming to life under the gentle guidance of his tools. Blaidd did have to admit though, having a greater dexterity than before was probably the only thing he enjoyed about being human. Everything else about his human body he despised.

Two years passed since his rebirth and he still loathed that fact that he was stuck in this body, at least until Arceus deemed worthy to be normal again. The complexities of human society, the confining rules that always seemed to contradict each other. . He always felt like he was breaking some rule, or dictate of society, or nicety, even though half the time, he didn't know what it was. The whole system was completely unnecessary overly complicated and cumbersome. _"No wonder so many younglings travel around. It's to escape society." _Blaidd mused. He steadily worked on the piece until he yawned mightily, he placed the half-carved wood back into his pack, along with the tools. The last of the campfire's embers died away and he pulled his long coat over his body, to serve as a improvised blanket. He had little need to worry about wild nocturnal pokemon attacking him; they could tell that at one point or another that he had been one of them. That and the additional fact that Blaidd was a master of using Aura kept the wild ones at a wary distance.

Of course, it wasn't the pokemon in the wilds he was worried about.


	3. Chapter 3: Enemy Within

Revival Chapter Three:

Waves the hue of the cloudy night sky crashed against the tall rocks that jutted out of the ocean. As he struggled to keep in the air, Eldrin could see the faint silhouettes of the generators hidden among the rock, providing electricity to the complex ahead of him. Pidgeot endeavored to keep it and its rider at an even keel, but the high winds buffeted the pair, sending the bird pokemon tumbling every which way, like a kite in a wind storm. The leather harness strained and pulled as Eldrin tried to maintain his balance. He was afraid that at any second, the harness would snap, sending the man tumbling into the choppy waves below.

The landing platform came in sight, much to his relief and the pidgeot landed on the platform, its beak gaping as it panted with exhaustion. Eldrin returned the pokemon back in its ball and looked around. It had been nearly two years since he had been here, yet there seemed very little change to the landscape. He was on a small island, a little more than a lump of rock, due west from Hoenn, on the outskirts of the Orange archipelago. A tall castle took up the majority of the island, its spires stretching towards the darkened skies. The castle's construction was fluid, consisting of organic shapes, all made of a gray slick stone. A woman was advancing towards Eldrin, clad in a midnight blue cloak, with a swampert plodding alongside her. A hooded lantern was in one hand, the shutters aiming the light straight ahead.

"It's about time you showed up," she commented acidly. "The Master has been waiting for you."

Eldrin shook a few stray locks of bright red hair from his face. "He's been waiting for two years, he can wait for a few moments more Stella."

Stella harrumphed. "Whatever. Just remember I'll be saying 'I told you so' once his salamence eats you alive."

Eldrin rolled his eyes and adjusted his red cloak, revealing a long sword attached to his belt. "So, what's it like being the Master's lapdog for two years? Tell me, was it nice sitting at the Master's feet like his Mightyena?"

"Enough to know that I could kill you quite easily without you even realizing it until your corpse is one the floor. The Master has taught me many things."

"I'd like to see you try," Eldrin snarled, hand going to the hilt of his weapon.

Stella did likewise, shifting her cape to show a long thin sword. She smirked. "Later though. I'm frankly not in the mood to clean off your corpse off the platform." The two entered through a doorway.

The castle hadn't changed much since Eldrin left it two years ago. The curves and fluid shapes of the castle, the smoothness of the structures, it gave off the impression that the castle was a living, sentient being, which Eldrin knew his Master wanted to achieve. Eldrin held his cloak closer to his muscular frame. Even after all this time, it still was accursedly cold in the complex, eliciting chills down his spine.

Stella led him to a large central chamber in the main building of the castle, the 'throne room', where his Master stayed. Stella returned swampert back in its pokeball and gestured for Eldrin to enter. Eldrin shot her a dirty look as he entered, while Stella waggled her eyebrows. She flicked back her dark, curly locks and left Eldrin to the mercy of the Master.

"Enter Eldrin. It has been too long." A voice emanated from the darkest part of the antechamber, where the light didn't reach the room. The voice was smooth, eloquent, like the speech of an educated man, but there was an undertone of venom, malevolence, reminding Eldrin of poisoned honey. "Come closer Eldrin."

Eldrin bowed to the shadowy Master. "Yes, my Master, it has been too long."

"Tell me Eldrin, have you discovered anything new about the boy?"

"Not much, my liege. He is as clueless as ever, unaware of his destiny. He has however, exhibited signs of the Aura, albeit sporadically."

"That is to be expected. He has no teacher, no one to guide him in the ways of Aura." The shadows shifted and the Master stood up from the chair, which also reflected the designs of the castle. A pair of Mightyena looked up at their master and relocated nearby, where the watch the scene unfold

"Truly my liege, he is naïve. " Eldrin offered.

The Master moved closer to Eldrin, exposing his face in the light. He had broad, handsome features, except for the jagged scar that ran across his nose. His hair was raven black, and went to his shoulders, along with a trimmed beard . He had the body built of an Usaring, broad in every way, with the strength of one as well. His shrewd green eyes studied Eldrin, as a scientist would study a subject under a microscope. "So tell me Eldrin, after two years of spying, all you have to tell me is NOTHING!" He roared and Eldrin staggered back.

"I'm sorry my lord," Eldrin apologized, feverishly praying that his Master wouldn't cleave him in two and feed him to the Mightyena nearby.

The Master struck Eldrin across the face with a meaty hand, sending the man stumbling away from him, nursing the rapidly bruising cheek. The Master came closer, to inflict further punishment, then paused in mid gesture. He let his hand fall to his side. "The time is coming closer and closer and all we have is a naïve teenager who knows nothing about his past. Someone will have to teach him, isn't that right Eldrin?" Eldrin nodded; the Master was known for his extreme changes in temper and mood, it was always best to agree with him.

The Master picked up Eldrin off the floor by the collar of his shirt. Eldrin struggled to breathe, the iron like grip was slowly cutting off his air supply. "I'm sending you and Stella to watch the boy. When the time is right, I want the pair of you to bring him to me. Got it?"

"Yes," Eldrin wheezed, his face turning an unpleasant shade of purple and blue. The Master dropped him to the floor.

"Good. Bring Alan and Mia with you, they're good trackers, along with at least a score of underlings. Get the boy by any means necessary, but I want him alive when he's brought back here."

Eldrin nodded again and scrambled out of the antechamber. One of the Mightyena started after him, but the Master stopped her with a gesture. "No, not today, Kutya."

The Master pulled his claymore that was leaning against his chair. He grabbed a nearby rag and started to polish the long blade of blackened metal. "They just don't make followers like they used to, huh Hond?" he wished. The Mightyena pair moved closer to their master and fell back asleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Eldrin stomped down the hallways, furious at himself. Stella popped up next to him, her curly hair obscuring part of her face. "So," she began, taking note of the large bruise across Eldrin's cheek. "I guess you forgot that the Master had a temper."

"I'm not in the mood Stella," Eldrin growled.

"Well, you better be, the Master did say we're working together." Stella pointed out, and smiled as she watched Eldrin's face darkened.

"Eavesdropper," Eldrin scornfully sneered.

Stella moved closer to him and brushed her hand against his leg. "I know. But since we're going to have to work together again, maybe we should get, 'reacquainted' again, hmm?" she whispered seductively in his ear, her brown eyes twinkling.

Eldrin shoved her aside. "I'd rather have a hot iron shoved in my eye than to go through that again."

Stella pouted. "But you do have to admit, it was quite fun."

"Quite," Eldrin conceded. "Maybe later."

She winked. "I'll be waiting," she purred and stalked off.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The semi-final matches went well, without much of a hitch, although Ash had lost to a trainer who had somehow obtained a Darkrai during his travels. Blaidd left shortly after that, hoping to catch the trainer once again, but like as before, he failed to get his attention. "It seems that Acreus has decided to make it much harder for me," Blaidd bemoaned under his breath. He glanced skyward, and softly uttered a few lines from a verse:

_When the last moon rises_

_Along the summer's night_

_Only the blood of the Son,_

_Can make the tomb open to desert light,_

"Only two months left," Blaidd whispered and pulled the coat closer to him. According to his research, the boy lived in a sleepy town known as 'Pallet Town', so that was where he was going next. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

** Yes, after doing some research, in the Japanese episodes, there is a trainer that has a Darkrai...don't believe me, go to bulbapedia XD. But I know you do anyway. I always said I do my research lol.**

** And ah yes, the incorporation of ancient weaponry. Why swords, and other stuff along this line, which will be seen later ? Long story. During a conversation with another author here on this site, we had discussed the addition of firearms in pokemon settings. We had come to the general consensus that there really wasn't a need for guns, because of the fact that pokemon are quintessentially THE 'guns' so to speak. **

** As I put more thought into it, it made more and more sense, in terms of practicality. Firearms wouldn't be able to penetrate certain pokemon's armor, like steel, ground, or rock, while psychic types could just mentally stop the bullet all together. Fire types, ice types and water types would be bad around any sort of gunpowder (fire would set it off, water would make it useless if soaked, while ice and cold could go long term damage to the gun). Electronic weaponry could be short circuited by any semblance of electrical attack. So why go through the time and resources just to manufacture firearms, when their effects could be nullified in an instant? Better to be able to make them cheaper, like arrows and crossbow bolts, and to retrieve them easily, like daggers, swords, hatchets and axes.**

** Of course, this weaponry would be focused at humans, so the need for armor would be metallic in material, since metal can deflect items better than plastic could. Of course, you always run the risk of being roasted like spam in a can by a fire attack, but that's what you have your pokemon for XD.**

** Hope you enjoyed the discussion!**


	4. Chapter 4: Welcome Home

Revival Chapter Four:

"Hey look, there it is!" Ash pointed out to Dawn. The had just crested a small hill when Pallet Town came into view. Ash shot a glance to Brock. "First one there gets first dibs on mom's food?"

Brock broke into a grin. "You're on!" The two teens raced down the hill, Pikachu clinging on for his dear life on Ash's shoulder.

Dawn sighed. "Boys." She ran after them. "Hey wait up! What's the hurry?"

"Food!" Ash shouted from the bottom of the hill.

"That would make more sense now." She trotted after them, Piplup in her arms.

About fifteen minutes later, Ash and Brock collapsed onto the road about fifty yards away from the little white house that Ash called home. "Too... much running...," Ash panted. "Not enough... fuel. Can't...go...on..." Pikachu leaped off Ash's shoulder and raced for the house.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Brock complained.

"Get back here you, you cheater!" Ash pulled himself off the ground and ran after Pikachu, who chattered something and made a taunting face.

Dawn, who had just caught up with Ash and Brock, had to dash after the pair again, who had mysteriously regained enough energy. "Jeez louise," she groaned. Piplup squirmed out of her grip and waddled away. "Aw, come on Piplup! Not you too!"

The house was dead silent when the trio entered. "Mom?" Ash called out. "Mom, you in here?"

Brock found a note in the kitchen. "Hey Ash! Your mom left a note. It says, 'At Professor Oak's, be back soon'. -Mom."

"Well then, let's go to Professor Oak's then." Ash suggested. "I'll bet he wants to see how the pokemon. But first, a snack." He started rummaging through the refrigerator, trying to find something that probably wasn't good for him. "Nuts, nothing there."

"Can we go on to Oak's now?" Dawn asked, impatiently tapping her boot. "I'm pretty sure that your mom doesn't exactly want to come home to a ransacked kitchen."

"Alright fine," Ash bit into an apple that he picked up. He gave a small niblet of the green apple to Pikachu, who took it gleefully. The trek up to Professor Oak's lab was uneventful, with Ash munching on the apple, somewhat sated for now. Like his house, the lab was quiet, with the lights off. "That's weird," Ash mused. "Normally he would be working this time of day."

"Um, Ash?" Dawn was pointing to the glass sliding doors that led to outside where the pokemon stayed. "You might wanna check outside."

"Huh?" Ash pushed the screen door open.

"SURPRISE!" the back area of the lab was festooned with decorations. A few tables were set out, along with a massive buffet. Balloons were tied to branches, while strands of gaily colored strands covered the trees. Ash was stunned. This would have explained why his mom wasn't at home. Pikachu launched out through the doors and into a familiar person's arms, chirping in glee as he got a well deserved scratch on the chin.

Ash's jaw dropped to the floor. "Misty?" He stammered.

She flashed a shy smile. "Hey Ash."

There was really no other way to describe it, but she had grown up. She was dressed in a pair of dress pants, with a pale blue tank top to match the ensemble. Her red hair brushed just past her shoulders while her eyes still had that same mischievous glint in them. He stared for a few moments, until Dawn nudged him sharply in the ribs, subtly. "Dawn!" he hissed.

Dawn shrugged and thrust a hand out. "You must be Misty. I'm Dawn, "I've heard a lot about you."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you Dawn."

Meanwhile, Ash did a mental tally of who was here. There was his mom, Professor Oak, Gary, Tracey, May, Max, and even Drew (how Drew ended up here he didn't know, but Ash suspected it had to do with the fact that Drew was holding May's hand). Brock nudged Ash again. "Ash, you're staring." Brock whispered

"What?"

"You're staring, at Misty. You've got this funny look too." Brock replied with a self satisfied smirk.

"Am not!" Ash flustered .

"Are too!

"Hey Ashy-Boy!" Gary pounded Ash on the back, interrupting their argument. "Nice job back at the Conference. Loved the way you owned that Paul guy."

"Um, thanks?"

Gary turned to Dawn. "Nice job at the Grand Festival too Dawn."

Dawn blushed with the praise and turned away. "Thanks Gary."

"No prob. Now that Ashy-Boy's here, we can finally start this party!"

"'Bout time!" Drew shouted, then reached for a paper plate.

The party went off without a hitch. Max proudly showed off his new pokemon from Professor Birch, a Treeko, and two others he caught, a poochyena and a ralts that looked very familiar.

"It's the ralts we helped out, remember?" Max exclaimed.

Ash smiled. "I remember."

"Yeah, but I'm kind of having problems with the first gym. It's really hard. You make it look so easy."

Ash absently fiddled with the bill of his cap. "Well, it just takes a lot of training."

"Considering that the very first gym badge you got was given to you, because he felt sorry for you" Misty teased.

"Hey, I was just starting out!" Ash protested.

Brock laughed. "Yeah, I kind of did actually."

"You aren't helping either!"

Ash also found out that Drew and May were finally dating. Dawn squealed. "Awww, that's so cute!"

Drew suddenly left the table, supposedly of to get some drinks. May shook her head. "Believe it or not, he's kind of shy about it. Guess he doesn't want his fans to find out."

"He did give you roses every time you saw each other," Brock pointed out. "If that wasn't a clear indicator to his fans, then I don't know what would have."

"Good point. Solidad pretty much had to threaten him to ask me out."

"Good for her."

Drew came back, juggling a slice of cake and a glass of punch. "Ugh, don't remind me. Solidad can be very threatening, as nice as she is."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Blaidd gazed down on the sleepy town of Pallet Town, his eyes alight with curiosity. He had never been to a village as small and quaint as this one. He spent most of his time either in the wilds or in large cities like Canalave and Sootopolis City. He pulled his coat off, and placed it on one arm. Pallet had a very temperate climate, especially since it bordered the ocean. He had only seen the ocean a few time, and each time it was awe inspiring. A salty breeze pervaded his nostrils and he inhaled deeply, taking in the scent. He never got over the scent of the ocean. He started to wind his way down the hill.

XXXXXXXXXX

The party, as nice as it was, started to wind down for the evening. At this point, they were just exchanging tips and reminiscing over events. Ash fiddled with the arm of his chair. He loved the fact that his friends made it to celebrate his advancement to the semi-finals of the Sinnoh League, but he needed something exciting to do. Maybe a pokemon battle would make him feel less restless. He felt a feather-light tap on his shoulder. It was Misty.

"Wanna go for a walk?" she asked quietly.

"Sure. You bored too?"

"A little."

"You'd think that a celebration party would be more exciting."

"Last time we had a celebration party the whole town was here. We spent a day and a half cleaning up everybody's messes."

"Remind me not to do that again." Ash got up from the lawn chair and the two sneaked away. They didn't go unnoticed, however. As they left, May caught a furtive glance and giggled.

"What is it May?" Dawn asked, curious as to why her fellow coordinator was in a near fit.

"Looks like the two lovebirds are out on a romantic stroll!" She went into a fit of giggles.

"Who's out for a stroll—oohh, now I get it. I thought the pair liked each other."

Brock and Tracey exchanged significant glances. "Indeed."

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, um, how's it been at the gym?" Ash asked, unsure how to start the conversation. He felt so aware of her presence, ever since Brock had pointed out the fact that he had been gawking at her.

Misty shrugged. "Not much. Life as usual. Trainers come in, thinking they can take on the world, then run scampering to the nearest Pokecenter afterward."

"A little harsh." Ash remarked.

"Well, somebody's got to keep their egos in check. I had to do that with you all the time."

"Yeah, with that mallet," Ash grumbled while rubbing his head, the painful memories rushing back.

"Watch it Ketchum."

Ash flashed a cocky grin. "Yeah whatever." He adjusted his hat. "Kind of nice to hang out you know."

"Yeah," She suddenly reached over and snatched Ash's hat off.

"Hey! That's my hat!"

"Come and catch me!" She bolted, leaving Ash charging after her, shouting something along the lines of 'Get back here! She managed to find herself at a copse of trees, close to the edge of Professor Oak's property line. She hid behind a tree, waiting for Ash to rampage through the grove, raving. He was still touchy about his hat, sometimes. He was just to much fun.

"Gotcha!" Ash crowed triumphantly. While she had been watching in one direction, he must have went around another way. He reached for the hat, and she decided to dangle it high above her head. The pair were near identical in height, but she was on her tiptoes, so it was a difference in centimeters. "Aw come on Mist! Give me back the hat!" He stepped forward to make a grab for it, and his hand clamped around her wrist, but as he stepped off to get closer, the tip of his foot caught on an uprooted tree root and he stumbled forward. He shot one hand out, to brace himself and he landed inches from Misty's face. He froze, waiting for her to inflict some sort of injury on his being. But she didn't. He became aware of every feeling, every sensation, like his senses had been heightened to their highest potential. It was just him and her.

Misty froze as well, he was so close to her! Her breath hitched in her throat and her heart started hammering in her chest, roaring in her ears. He still had her wrist in his hand, and she wondered if he could feel her pulse. His dark brown eyes held the same shocked expression as hers and she took notice of a small scar above his left eye, a faint line against his tanned skin. Then, as quickly as the accident happened, Ash pulled away, gingerly tugging the cap from her fingers.

"Sorry about that, " he apologized, quickly planting the cap back on his head. "It's these stupid roots. I always used to trip on them whenever I went back here as a kid."

"Yeah," Misty mumbled, wondering how close she was to actually kissing Ash.

XXXXXXXXXX

Blaidd patiently knocked on the door to what he believed was the Ketchum residence. Thanks to some assistance from an older woman, she had guided him to the small white house. He admired her rose garden while he waited for a reply. He took a quick sniff. "She takes very good care of her garden," he complimented to no one. He furtively plucked off one of the blossoms, mindful of the sharp thorns. He always admired roses. The intricacy of the petal, the scent they had, everything about them he enjoyed. He cautiously placed the rose in his pack. He would have to find a safe place for the flower later. After five minutes of waiting, he poked his head in one of the windows. There appeared to be no one home. He then remembered the elderly woman mentioning something about a party at lab, which was at the top of a large hill nearby.

"Either the child is avoiding me, or this all just surmounts to a series of tragic coincidences." Blaidd left the garden, trudging up the hill to the lab.

XXXXXXXXXX

Max was growing decidedly bored with the conversation at hand. He really wasn't in the mood to hear about coordinator gossip and his sister's love life. He shuddered at the thought. One time he caught the pair in a passionate kiss once. He'd never get the image out of his head. May had to just about bribe him from telling mom and dad, not that he was going to in the first place. He always did like getting a few bucks every now and then. He ended up in the lab, where Professor did a lot of his research. He peered around, looking at high-tech machines and peeking through notes. He normally wasn't a nosy kid, but this was Professor Oak's lab. The man was his idol. It wasn't like he was going to steal any of his theories.

There was knock at the door, drawing Max away from the notebook he was looking at. He peeked out in the foyer to find a silhouette behind the frosted glass, nervously shifting from side to side.

"Well, it would be rude to not answer," Max said, justifying his plan. He ambled over to the front door and peeked through on of the side windows. It appeared to be a tall, skinny person, with a coat hitched over one arm. He opened the door.

"Hello," Blaidd introduced himself, trying to hide his surprise. Out of all the people to open the door, it had to be the young boy from the Tree from two years ago. Maybe the boy wouldn't recognize him, he hoped. "My name is Blaidd Wilson and I would like to speak to an Ash Ketchum. Is he here right now?"


	5. Chapter 5: Request

Revival Chapter Five:

Max studied Blaidd for a moment, head cocked to one side as he studied the stranger with keen interest. He seemed familiar, like he knew him from somewhere else. It nagged at him, and frankly right now, Max wasn't in the mood so he pushed that feeling aside. "You want to see Ash?" he finally asked.

Blaidd nodded. "Yes, I would very much like too."

"Alright, I'll get him for you." Max was gone in a flash, sticking his head out the sliding door and shouting, "Ash! Someone wants to see you!"

Blaidd cast a furtive glance skywards, taking note of some clouds that were building up forming towering thunderheads. "May I come in? I think it might rain soon."

"Um, yeah. Just sit right there in that chair. I'll try to get Ash for you."

"Thank you Ma—never mind." Blaidd corrected himself; the last thing he needed was to show any signs that he knew them. It would give too much away.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing. Just a slip of the tongue."

"Um, alright then." Max turned away from Blaidd and shouted outside again. "Ash! I said that there was someone to see you!"

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Ash had just wandered back to where the others were sitting, Misty following a few moments. May threw Misty a sly wink, who blushed and mouthed something along the lines of 'nothing happened'. May shrugged, but was determined to ask Misty about it later. Brock noticed the looming clouds, which took on a darker shade as they grew, bringing the portents of rain.

"Well, we better pack it up," Ms. Ketchum said. "We can just take it inside."

Blaidd stepped out from the foyer area. "I can help if you would like."

Ms. Ketchum jumped in surprise. "Sorry, may I ask who you are?"

"My name is Blaidd Wilson and I wish to speak with Ash Ketchum. You friend here," Blaidd gestured to Max. "Let me in."

"You're the guy from the Pokecenter!" Dawn blurted out.

"I don't remember a guy from the Pokecenter," Ash mentioned.

"That's because you were too busy hogging down a bag of potato chips to even notice."

Misty rolled her eyes. "That would be Ash."

Blaidd chuckled. "Yes, that would be me, although I can assure you that I'm not a reporter."

"You aren't? Oh! I'm so sorry about closing the door on you then!" Dawn apologized, mortified.

"It's alright. I understand."

"So," Gary started, crossing his arms. "What do you want anyways?" Gary was a little suspicious of Blaidd.

"It's not what I want, but what Lady Ilene wants," which wasn't exactly a lie; she was somewhat involved, but not much.

Ash looked dumbfounded for a moment, until May spoke up. "Wait, she was the woman who ran that castle, right?"

"Correct. I am an emissary to the Lady and she wishes for your presence." Blaidd wondered for a moment if it was always this easy to lie, but tried to shake off the feeling. The lying was necessary, at least, that was what he kept telling himself.

"Really?" Ash ran a hand through his hair, tipping back his hat. "I wonder what for."

"I'm not quite sure either, but all I know is that she would like you there."

Misty frowned. "That's really helpful."

"I know and I'm truly sorry. I wish I knew too." Blaidd shuffled uncomfortably in his chair, feeling incredibly guilty about the pile of lies he had accumulated. He prayed that he would get redeemed through his actions and not his words.

"Well, that sounds like a lot of fun. I think we should go." Ash proclaimed, and leaned back in his chair.

"What makes you the leader?" Misty asked.

"Aw come on Mist, when was the last time you've done something exciting ? It'll be fun."

"Plus, it is up in northern Kanto, so you technically won't be leaving the region." Brock pointed out.

"Way in northern Kanto if you recall correctly." May mentioned. "We ended up there in the first place because you got lost, even though we had Max's PokeNav."

"Wish we had that when we were traveling," Misty muttered.

Max turned to May. "Please can we go? Pretty please?" he pleaded.

May exhaled gustily. "Oh alright. Only if Ash lets us."

"Please Ash, can we come too?"

"I don't see a problem with it."

"Alright! Thanks Ash!"

"Which means that by default, I have to come too," Drew huffed.

"Well, not technically by 'default'," May playfully nudged Drew. "Don't be such a party pooper."

"I'm not a party pooper," Drew defended.

"Then come along."

"Fine. I'll come too."

"Count me in too." Brock interjected. "Besides, I'm the only one that can cook and read the maps." he joked; it was very true. What about you Dawn?"

Dawn shook her head. "As much as I like to come, I told my mom I'd visit for a while, then I was going to travel through Hoenn after that. Sorry guys"

"You're going to the Hoenn region too? So am I!" Gary exclaimed. Misty and May exchanged significant glances and snickered.

Ash did a tally on his hands. "So that will be me, May, Max, Drew, and Brock. Come on Misty, you gotta come! It'll only be for a little while. I'm sure that your sisters can handle the gym by themselves."

"You don't know my sisters."

" Ash's right. It's been a while since you've traveled. I'm sure you'll have fun." Brock said.

"Well, I guess since you guys won't stop badgering me about it, I guess I'll go." Misty caved in, though she had to admit, she had been feeling restless lately at the gym, being cooped up all the time. An adventure like this would release some steam so to speak.

"Sweet! Then we'll head out tomorrow morning then!"

"Whoa there mister, hold your ponytas." Misty put a halt to Ash's plan. "I need to let my sisters know, plus we got to get ready, in case you haven't forgotten. Food, medical supplies,..."

"Okay Mist, you win. We'll leave the day after tomorrow."

"Not much of a reprieve there huh, Ash."

"What?"

"Misty does have a point," Professor Oak pointed out. "There aren't a lot of people living in northern Kanto, except for a few towns dotted here and there. It's very isolated and mountainous. You might not always have a Pokecenter to pop into. So you'll have to pack thoroughly ."

"It sounds awfully dangerous," Ms. Ketchum remarked.

Blaidd spoke up. "You have my word that they'll be safe."

Ms. Ketchum stood up and straightened up her clothes and glimpsed at the clock on the wall, unsure of Blaidd's promise. "It's getting late, so I think it time we headed back to the house." As she said that, the rain had begun fall, soft patters on the window panes. " And bring some umbrellas too."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The rain softly tapped against the large stained glass windows. Lady Ilene watched the rain fall in small rivulets down the ornate panes of colored glass, occasionally tracing her finger down a path or two of the raindrop. It was raining all over Kanto in patches that night, including Rota and Cameran Palace. Lady Ilene broke away from the window and headed up a spiral staircase, her shoes clacking on the pale stone, her hand gently resting on the iron wrought banister. She wound her way up one of the towers that connected to the castle's main hall, a thin slender building whose spire yearned towards the stormy sky.

At the top of the staircase was a thick oak door, one that required a key. Lady Ilene produced an old iron key and turned it in the pidgeot shaped brass lock. There was an audible click and Lady Ilene shoved the heavy door open. The brass hinges creaked, from little use. Lady Ilene entered the small chamber, shutting the door behind her. This room was one of the many secrets that Cameran Palace held. She had no idea why she came up here, only that she had the feeling that it called to her.

Darkness permeated every inch of the room, making it impossible to see what exactly laid in the chamber. Lady Ilene lit a torch found in a nearby wall sconce and the room was filled with a ruddy warm light, banishing the gloom. The room was void of any furniture or decoration, save for a few, sparse wall sconces and a podium resting in the center of the room. The podium was four feet high from the ground, constructed of black marble, white veins shot through the ebony rock. She advanced towards the podium, torch in hand. Her fingers swept across the top of the dais, the stone frigid under her fair skin.

A glass orb rested in the center of the dais, the color of a tarnished silver. A small spark danced in the depths of the otherwise lifeless ball. Runes stretched outward in concentric rings from the glass. Lady Ilene couldn't decipher the runes, for they were the language of a dead language, no longer read except for a few experts. Lady Ilene studied the podium for a few beats, wondering what its purpose was. As a teen, her mother had divulged many of the castle's secrets to Ilene, including the chamber and podium. Her mother had told her that this was the key to Sir Aaron's tomb, yet no one knew how to operate it.

"It isn't like any map I've ever seen," she said. She took a few more moments to try and deduce the meaning of the podium, but gave up and walked away, realizing that she wasn't meant to unravel it, someone else was. She shut the stout door behind her as she left the room, wondering why she had gone up there in the first place.


	6. Chapter 6: Many Beginnings

Revival Chapter Six:

The storm system came and went, as the sun's rays pierced through the rain laden clouds. The system lingered over Pallet Town for nearly two days, then migrated eastward towards Vermillion City and beyond. While the storm clouds hovered over the town, the group had taken the opportunity to make all the necessary arrangements. Misty had to bargain with her sisters so she could leave the gym. It was only with Tracey's offer of assistance did Misty's older siblings give in. May and Max informed their parents of the upcoming trip, while Brock bought all the supplies that would be needed. Ash had to make the painful decision to decide his team, but in the end he went with Pikachu, Glalie, Torterra, Quilava, Staraptor, and Buizel.

The days flew by, rather slowly, in Ash's opinion, and it was now time to start. Dawn had already left earlier that morning, In order to catch a flight to Canalave City. Professor Oak had been kind enough to drive her there. Gary left too, except he had opted for a ride on his skarmory, instead of any 'normal' transportation.

The dirt road outside the Ketchum residence was muddy and soft from the storm, puddles everywhere. Ash made a disgusted face as his sneakers sunk into a miniature sinkhole. His mother gave him a tight hug. "Be careful, alright Ash?" she implored.

"Mom, not in front of my friends," he protested. He loved his mom dearly, but there were some times that the affection was best private, like now. Drew chuckled and Misty hid her face behind her hands. He wriggled his way out of his mother's grip. "I promise I'll be careful." He shouldered his backpack and deftly snatched the map from Brock's hands. "Let's get this show on the road!"

"Ash give Brock the map back. I would prefer to not be lost within the first fifteen minutes of this trip."

"I won't get us 'lost'. Don't you have any faith in me, Misty?"

"When you have the map, no, not really."

The banter died away as they continued down the road. Ms. Ketchum watched until their forms receded in the distance. She had a habit of constantly worrying about her son as he traveled. He had been journeying for a good seven years of his life, so he must know what he was doing. A sense of worry gnawed at her, and she was left with the feeling that this trip would be the biggest trip of all.

XXXXXXXXXX

Two shadowy figures watched as the group wound their way through the hilly regions that surrounded Pallet Town, which cradled the town like a verdant nest. One of them peered through a pair of high tech binoculars, then huffed and set them down on his lap, drumming his fingers on the plastic cover.

"This is stupid," the watcher proclaimed. "To take him now would be just plain stupid. It's much too early to do so."

His partner, a blond with wavy long hair, snorted. "Oh yes, real way to get promoted Alan. Let's bash the Master's plan behind his back, then suck up to him every chance you have."

"You're so narrow minded Mia," Alan derided. "You're too busy playing teacher's pet."

"I'd like to live longer than you," Mia flicked back a lock of hair. "But you're right. This is stupid."

"Too bad we don't have much of a say in it."

"True. I suspect though that Eldrin and Stella feel the same way about it too. There's just too many risks involve with commence with the plan now. Too many variables."

Alan stood up, brushing the grass stains from his pants. He was tall, with a wiry built. His brown eyes looked through the lens of the binoculars one more time, then he shoved the pair into a side pouch. He straightened his mousy brown hair, and began to head down to their campsite. On first impression, many would have compared him to a furret, a skinny, weaselly pokemon. Oftentimes, their comparison would be true, in both personality and looks. He was dressed in clothing that was ideal for tracking, with few adornments and bright accessories, all in various shades of gray.

Mia, on the other hand, was short, with voluptuous curves and a charisma that would light up a party. However, she was cold-hearted, temperamental, and fickle. She too was dressed in an outfit similar to Alan's, but a long dagger, about eighteen inches long, was strapped to her leg, the metal dull and matte.

"Anything new?" Stella asked, her chain mail chinking as she crossed her arms. She was clad in leather armor that covered most of her body, with a layer of chain mail under it. While it may seen unusual for a person in this age to dress as she did, it was seen as vital and needed.

"The boy has just left Pallet Town, with a whole entourage in tow. This may be more difficult than we thought."

"Difficult or not, the Master needs him." Elrdin said. His armor was a fusion of leather and metal plating, all darkened to prevent it from reflecting any light. "We'll just have to kill the others."

"Yes, but there's something unusual about one of them." Mia interjected

"What?"

"One of the members, he seems to be skilled in Aura." Mia had a minor ability to sense those who were able to utilize Aura. "Very skilled."

"He's a human, just like the rest of us. And if he's a human, he can be killed." Eldrin seated himself on a fallen log, ignoring the moss that was growing. "We'll track the boy at dawn. The last thing we need is for a bunch of dead civilians to be found near a populated area."

XXXXXXXXXX

The campfire burned steadily as the group settled down for the evening. They had trekked far into Viridian woods, more than halfway into the murky forest. Blaidd found a secluded glade for them to spend the night, away from any beaten paths. Brock was hovering over a stew pot, occasionally tossing in a spice or two, to season their dinner. Max and Drew had gone out to collect firewood, while May and Misty went to collect water from a burbling stream twenty yards from the campsite. Which left only Ash and Blaidd. Ash had offered to help Brock out with dinner, but was shooed away with a wooden spoon to the head. Blaidd was calmly leaning against a moss covered rock, whittling away at a piece of wood.

"Tell me Ash," Blaidd began. "Have you worked with your 'Aura' lately?"

"No, not really,...wait, how do you know about my 'Aura'? Ash demanded.

"I was there when you released that lucario from Sir Aaron's staff. Only one skilled with Aura could accomplish such a feat."

"You were there?"

"I am Lady Ilene's emmisary you know. Plus I have a minor talent with the Aura myself. I can sense that you have it too. It's raw and untrained, but still there." Blaidd placed the wood next to him and stood up. "I can help you hons your skills with it. In many ways. It will give you an edge in all aspects of life."

"Like how?"

"Well, you can sense emotions with it, turning you into an empath, and give you a closer bond with your pokemon, as you'll be connected with your pokemon more intimately than most trainers. You can sense possible future actions in battle, again, giving you another edge in battle. The ability to use Aura is very rare, and highly valuable. To neglect it is to throw away one of your biggest gifts. Ever wonder why you have such a close bond with your pokemon? It's not just because you've trained them for so long, but also that you have developed a bond through each other's Aura."

"I never knew that."

"Of course you didn't, because you've never had any one teach you it." Blaidd crossed the glade and offered Ash a hand. "I'm willing to teach you how to use it, at least until we reach Cameran Palace. Then, you can continue your training, or go on with your life. But at least I can teach you how to control and refine your Aura."

Ash clasped Blaidd's hand. "Deal."

"Well, you have a habit of rushing into things without a second thought, don't you?" Blaidd went to a tree and yanked off a thick branch, then a second one, inspecting each one in turn, then nodding when satisfied. Pulling out a bowie knife, he cut off the smaller branches, until he had two improvisational staffs, each with one sharpened end. He tossed on to Ash, who narrowly caught it.

"As I've said a few moments ago, Aura gives you the ability to sense possible future moves, allowing you to counter and mount your own attack. But in order to develop that ability with your pokemon, you must develop it in combat." Blaidd lunged with the blunt end, and Ash barely had time to block the staff with his own, bringing his staff up to block it, but Blaidd spun around with the pointed end and hooked under Ash's stave and knocked it out of his hands. The blunt end went into the teen's gut. Ash's air went out in a whoosh as Blaidd's stave collided with his diaphragm. He sunk to his knees. Brock winced as Ash went down.

"That was harsh," he wheezed.

"Training is always harsh. I remember my first training session. You training sessions are nothing more than a cakewalk to mine." Blaidd offered him a hand up. "The key is to connect with your Aura. Clear your mind of nothing else except the Aura. Then everything will come to you."

Misty and May walked in on the training session, buckets of water in hand. "What's Ash doing?" Misty whispered.

"I have no idea," May replied. Max and Drew came into the glade shortly after them.

Ash closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind, but it proved much more difficult then he originally thought it would be. Random thoughts would pop up just as he was on the verge of total clarity. Blaidd noted Ash's frustration. "It's always hard on the first try. Just keep practicing every spare moment. In the mean time, I need to teach you how to fight. You fight horribly." Blaidd pitched Ash's staff to him. "Let's try this again." Blaidd lunged forward again. This time, Ash managed to fend off a handful of blows, until his stave went flying again and he got a hard rap on the shoulder.

"Again!" The pair went at it once more, until Brock called them for dinner, a hardy meal of stew and a mixture of chow and berries for the pokemon. After supper, Blaidd had Ash to go through a few meditating exercises, to help his learn to clear his mind. "Until you can learn to completely clear your mind, without any exertion whatsoever, Aura will be elusive to you." Blaidd explained.

Ash nodded, nursing one of the numerous bruises obtained from the bouts. "Okay," he answered reluctantly. He had enjoyed the fighting, even though he had gotten beaten nearly every match, but he had the feeling that he wouldn't enjoy the 'exercises' very much. He relied on instinct, not on mental prowess and the manipulation of 'Aura'.

"I'll take first watch," Blaidd offered, he felt restless, fidgety, and he thought that staying up could cure the restlessness, instead of tossing and turning in the confining, polyester sleeping bag he was forced to buy. He never needed a 'sleeping bag' before, so why now? "Ash and Drew will take second, Misty and Brock will take third." It was always best to have two people on the second and third watches. One or the other always seemed to be sleepy, so the other person was in essence, a back up. Ash nodded and settled int o his sleeping bag, Pikachu curled up in a small yellow furred ball next to him, using the trainer's cap as a pillow.

Blaidd settled in for the watch, his back against the rock, eyes wide and wary, the red irises peering into the darkness around them.


	7. Chapter 7: Crystalline Dreams

Revival Chapter 7: Crystalline Dreams

** So, I just wanted to give a shout out to those who reviewed this story so far XD. Thanks for the awesome reviews guys! I'd name you all, but that would be a very long list...And those that put me on Story Alert or Favorites, I catch you without leaving a review lolz. **

**And I really shouldtell the ages of the gang and their Pokemon huh? :**

**Ash, 18: Pikachu, Staraptor, Glalie, Torterra, Quilava, and Buizel**

**Misty 18 ½: Starmie, Azurill (in a pokeball), Gyarados, Psyduck, Politoed, Corsola**

**Brock: 21: Croagunk-Toxicroak, Sudowoodo, Happiny (even though it evolves in DP), Steelix, Crobat, Marshtomp**

**May 17: Glaceon, Blaziken, Venasaur, Beautifly, Skitty, and Wartorle**

**Drew: Roserade, Butterfree, Masquerein, Flygon, and Absol **

**Max: Treeko, Poochyena, and Ralts**

_The world exploded into red, garish colors that splashed everywhere, on her clothes, the stone floor, everything. The world seemed to slow down, like everything was drowning in molasses. Ash staggered back a few steps, hands to his chest, some sort of bolt sticking out from it. He sank to his knees, wheezing and coughing blood in a fine mist. Blaidd stood off to one side, fending off a troop of men, whose weapons glistened with the same shade of red. She knelt there, fingers brushing against a shard of crystal erupting from the earth. Her hands were raw and bleeding from the contact. Thin rivulets of red trickled through her fingers, but she couldn't let go. She wouldn't let go. She was surrounded by it, could feel the red soaking into everything, the coppery tang in the air..._

_ Blood._

_ Blaidd suffered from numerous wounds, hands flaring bright with blue flames, but it wasn't enough to win..._

_ ...Her world went down in a world of red and blue..._

_ "Ash!"_

_ But the red and blue went away...to be washed away by..._

_ ...Rain?_

Misty jolted upright from her sleeping bag, chest heaving. The dream seemed so real, but thankfully it wasn't. Something wet landed on her nose, then another on her hand. It had started to drizzle again and she groaned. She loved the rain yes, but only when she was inside, watching it trickle down the windows, not being soaked by it. Kanto summers equated to two things: Hot and wet. She moved her sleeping bag under a nearby tree, in hopes of becoming less soaked then she already was becoming. Her foot brushed up against something hard and cold and she glanced down, praying it wasn't a chrysalis to a bug pokemon.

Instead, it looked like a hunk of crystal sticking out of the ground, with smaller ones protruding from the main one, reminding her of a flower. Even though it was pitch black this night, it glowed with an inner light, like it were nature's night light. She knelt next to it, in awe of the scintillating colors, hundreds of shades, contained in one delicate item.

"What do you got there Misty?" May whispered, creeping up next to her. Like Misty, the rain had woken her up and she decided to move her sleeping bag as well.

"I don't know May, but it's really gorgeous."

May studied the crystal for a moment, trying to place where exactly she had come across it. "Wait a sec, that's a 'time flower'!" she whispered in surprise.

"A 'time' what?"

"A time flower. It can record events and play them back to you if you touch it."

"That's pretty cool. Where did you hear that one?"

"The last time Ash went to Rota and Cameran Palace."

"Oh right." Misty then remembered her dream, how she was holding on to something that looked remarkably like the 'time flower' that was in front of her. The two were so similar, yet vastly different in size. Her mind started to make connections, but they were elusive and they slipped through the cracks of her sleepy mind.

"Soo," May hunkered down in her sleeping bag, which was now next to Misty's. She had a sly look in her bright blue eyes, which spelled 'doom' in Misty's mind.

Or at the very least, extreme embarrassment. Neither of which she was in the mood for at the moment. The images of Ash dying were very fresh in her head.

"What is it May?" she asked resignedly.

"What exactly happened that day, when you and Ash went 'walking' in the woods?"

She saw this one coming from a mile away. "Nothing happened. He and I were just talking."

"Uh-huh, _suuurree_," May snuggled in deep in her sleeping bag, turning the polyester bag into a human chrysalis. "You know, you two really go together, it's kind of cute actually."

Misty turned away from May, praying that the coordinator wouldn't see her blush, and crawled in her bag as well, trying to stay as dry as she possibly could in the outdoors. "Good _night _May."

May simply rolled her eyes and went to sleep as well.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Morning came in, as the clouds lightened up slightly. It was still drizzling though, which put a damper on the trip. They managed to make through the woods, after being pursued by a small hive of angry beedrill. Not exactly the best way to start the morning.

The streets of Virdian City were all but deserted, as many people had elected to stay indoors on this gloomy day. The group restocked of their food supplies, while Blaidd noticed a store carrying knives. He dragged Ash in.

Blaidd looked thoughtfully at the blades, Ash looking a combination of confusion and boredom. "Why exactly are we here?" he inquired.

"Because simply," Blaidd replied, studying a thick knife. "You need one. A knife is an important tool in one's arsenal. It can provide you food, help you create shelters, protection from wild pokemon, the possibilities are endless. To not have one, especially where we're going, would be a very stupid idea. You're going to be literally, in the middle of nowhere, and there isn't a Pokecenter every half mile." Blaidd set the knife down, much to the shopkeeper's displeasure; Blaidd had been handling a large portion of his wares, without making any purchase. "Ash, you are eighteen right?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"Good. Come over here and pick one out for yourself, because I am not buying it for."

XXXXXXXXXXX

But in the end, Blaidd did help Ash pick out a knife, and paid for a percentage of it, but he made Ash pay for the rest of it. The knife was a work of practicality and beauty, even more so thanks to the price. It was a little less than two feet long, with a six inch grip. The metal was of carbon steel, a reliable and sturdy metal, Blaidd had claimed. The knife was about two inches wide, curving into a wicked curve towards the last few inches. Both sides were edged, allowing for both stabbing and cutting. It hooked onto to Ash's belt with it's leather sheath, placed on his left side side he was right handed. Ash absentmindedly thumbed the hilt of the blade as they walked to Pewter City a few days away.

"Jeez, Ash," Misty said after seeing the bladed monstrosity. "Any bigger and you'd be carrying a sword!"

"It wasn't my fault, Misty," Ash flustered in his defense. "Blaidd picked it out."

Blaidd rolled his eyes. "Oh sure, blame the guest." But there was a jovial glint in his red eyes as he said so, so there was no meaning behind the words.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Eldrin cursed under his breath. He hadn't properly gauged the distance between Pallet Town and Viridian City, coupled with the group's mad dash out of the woods, courtesy to a flock of angry beedrill. Now they were within the city limits, making it impossible to hunt them down. They were unable to enter the city either with their armor and weaponry. They would have stuck out like a sore thumb and get noticed. He wasn't too concerned with the boy, but the other one, the one with a powerful Aura, would have taken note and blown their cover, recognizing the troop for what they were.

"Brilliant," Stella snorted derisively, finger fiddling with the trigger of her hand crossbow. "You let them get away. Again."

" Yes Stella, let's hunt them down in the city and watch as the media goes after it like a pack of rabid houndoom. I would much rather not have my face plastered on every local news channel."

"You're weak."

"No, practical. You've definitely spent too much time with the Master's Mightyena."

Stella snarled and ripped her sword out from its scabbard. "Say that again and I'll cut your throat out, after I promptly castrate you."

Mia interceded. "Now's not the time or the place. Take your aggression out on the boy's friends, not each other. Eldrin's right. It would have been too much of a risk to go after them in the city. It's best to do it in the wilds. We didn't expect them to traverse through the Woods that quickly. We'll have plenty of time to get them. Alright?"

Stella lowered her weapon. "Fine."

Mia nodded. "Good. They should be out of Viridian city by tomorrow night. We'll get them then."


	8. Chapter 8: Ambush

Revival Chapter 8: Ambush

**Author's Note #1: You probably noticed the title change to the story, as "Revival" becoming Book One of the "Aura Rising Trilogy". As I mapped out the entire saga, I quickly realized that the story I wished to tell would need to break down into three parts, in order to make the tale easier to read, rather than taking it in all at once. It also makes it easier to write out. The second Book in the trilogy will be called "Shaman of Blue Flame". **

**Author's note: Warning, the next two chapters contain violence and some mentions of blood. The next two chapters also contain the deaths of pokemon. If this disturbs you, you are welcome to skip ahead to chapter ten. While chapter ten does mention previous events, they'll be easy to comprehend. I hope this does not offend anybody in any possible sort of way.**

Alan and and Mia scouted the outskirts of the clearing, where Ash and the others were spending the night. They were surrounded by thick tall trees, but with little undergrowth for the trackers to ambush from. They slunk back to where Stella and Eldrin were waiting, bent in brush pile, looking decidedly uncomfortable. Eldrin puffed a strand of hair out of his face. "Well?" he asked impatiently.

"This is the only area where we can hide safely without being spotted," Mia answered. Eldrin made a face; he was hoping to get much closer to where they were, to get a better shot with his crossbow. But he would have to make with what he had. "Fine." he knelt down in the undergrowth and placed a quarrel on his crossbow. He aimed the weapon in the direction of the clearing. "We'll make the attack here. If all goes well, then we should have the boy much quicker than the Master expects. The last thing I want is to send Captain Archer to do our job." Stella crouched next to him, preparing her crossbow as well. "On my signal," he commanded.

XXXXXXXXXX

Blaidd felt something shift in the air as he entered the clearing. The hairs on the nape of neck rose and he stiffened, trying to discern what exactly had triggered the feeling. His eyes shifted around the area surrounding the campsite, trying to sense with his Aura what laid beyond the glade. Nothing seemed out of place, the 'currents' of Aura were flowing properly. Blaidd tried to relax, but couldn't; there was something not right, but he couldn't place it. He shoved a hand in his coat pocket, rummaging around for a hunk of chocolate. Ever since the boy Max had given it to him two years ago, he fell in love with the taste, the texture, the smell of the substance. Since then, he always made sure he had room in his traveling pack for a bar or two. Maybe three, if the cravings were really bad. "Blaidd?" Misty asked. "Is something up?" "Nothing, nothing," he responded. "Just looking for a piece of chocolate. I thought I had one in my pocket in here somewhere."

Misty flashed him a smile and pulled out something from her pack. Blaidd's mouth nearly started to water at the sight of the foil wrapped piece of heaven. "Here, I usually keep it for emergencies, but I'll make an exception for you. And here I thought women were crazy about their chocolate."

Blaidd gratefully took the piece from Misty, hastily unwrapping the foil and biting into the chocolate, eyes closed in bliss as the piece melted on his tongue. This had to be the best chocolate, ever."Thank you. And there's nothing wrong with men liking it either."

"I know that. Ash would eat one of those five pound bars if he could."

"I heard that!" Ash protested from across the clearing. He and Drew were setting up the two tents they recently bought. With the extraordinarily wet summer, they realized that spending that little extra cash would keep them from waking up like they had gone through the rinse cycle of a washer. In other words, very, very wet. "I bet I could too."

"You aren't supposed to be proud of that Ash!"

Blaidd chuckled. As a precaution, he made a careful study of his compatriot's Auras. It was interesting to note that Ash and Misty's would flare up whenever they were near each other, just as May and Drew's did too. Though in Ash and Misty's case, their interaction was far more complicated then the latter pair. Blaidd placed it upon himself to ask more about their relationship with each other, probably with Brock. The other male seemed to know a lot more about those two.

Meanwhile, Max listened to the conversation with Misty and Blaidd with sensitive hearing. Since he had met Blaidd, there was something very familiar about the man, even though Max was positive that they had never met before. Hie demeanor, his history with Cameran Palace, knowledge of Aura, his eye color, all these things were connected, but for the life of him, couldn't determine what. The love for chocolate was just the icing on the cake, so to speak. Max grew frustrated and took it upon himself to figure where in Mew's name he recognized the man.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Eldrin continued to wait, growing irritated. He was a man of action, built for combat, not for squatting in the woods until he could no longer feel his legs. But it was the only way to get back onto his Master's good side. "When do we fire?" Stella whispered; she was growing restless and testy as well. "Until everything falls into place—Now!" He popped up and jerked on the trigger, unleashing the bolt on it's flight, the broad metal head catching the sunset's rays.

XXXXXXXXXX

Blaidd froze again, his ears picking up a twanging sound. He stiffened and flung himself away from the sound, wincing as the arrowhead ripped through his clothes and slicing through the skin underneath. The chocolate piece was jammed in his pocket as he did so. Misty dove down, the bolt whizzing overhead, embedding itself into a trunk of a tree.

"What in Ho-Oh's name was _that_?" She yelled.

"Ambush!" He cried out. His hands started to glow a bright blue as he waved them over his head. A shimmering dome of Aura went over the clearing. A few more bolts ricocheted off harmlessly the dome, which was holding steady. Blaidd could feel his strength swiftly draining away. The use of Aura on this scale took a lot of mental and psychical stamina. "Run!" he commanded to the teens. He made an opening in the Aura dome, wincing as a stab of pain went through his chest. He couldn't keep this up much longer.

When he was positive that they had fled, he collapsed the dome, reabsorbing the Aura into himself. He let out a battle cry, a bestial sound that was a cross between a growl and a roar. Using the reabsorbed Aura, he fired six Aura spheres in rapid succession, towards the direction of the bolt. When all fell silent, he fled the clearing too, following the teens.

XXXXXXXXXX

Eldrin bit down on his lower lip as one of the spheres impacted with his crossbow, shattering the weapon and some of the bones in his trigger hand. Splinters went flying everywhere as he dove into the brush, clutching his injured hand. Another sphere broke off a thick branch where his head just was. He looked around to see how the others fared.

Stella and Mia were alright, but Alan wasn't so much. An Aura sphere had collided into his chest, crushing his ribcage. The broken ribs caved inwards, piercing his internal organs. He was dead before the tracker hit the ground.

Eldrin cursed loudly. He hadn't expected to lose on of his comrades so soon, even though no one really did like the weaselly man. He snatched off the pokeballs off the dead man's belt. "After them!" he snarled.

XXXXXXXXXX

Water soaked through Ash's shoes and pants as he raced through the woods, crossing a stream. The sky was starting to darken as they fled, along with a steady temperature drop, making the water so much colder. His lungs burned and his muscles started to ache, but he had to keep running.

"Guys!" Brock yelled. "Keep running in the stream! It'll mask our scent!"

"Good idea!" Blaidd replied, who had just caught up with them. They continued to run, the stream deepening to about two feet deep. They came across a fork in the stream.

"Crap," Drew glanced at the streams that broke off. "Which one do we take?"

"Simple, we take both. May, Drew, Brock and I will take one of the paths." Blaidd instructed. "Ash, Misty and Max will take the other. They'll probably have tracking pokemon, so by taking both paths, we'll confuse them. We'll meet up later, when the coast is clear. Alright?"

"Right!" The group split up, May, Drew, Brock, and Blaidd taking the right stream, with Ash, Misty, and Max taking the other.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Son of a gun!" Eldrin snapped. The threesome had just come across the fork in the stream. To go down either one could lose the chance of losing their quarry. He whipped out Alan's pokeballs and clicked four of the buttons. Two mightyena and two houndoom, both expert species in tracking, appeared. Mia, Stella and Eldrin did likewise, and soon, a dozen mightyena and houndoom were milling about, unsure of their commands. By the Master's decree, all trackers must have at least three 'tracking type' pokemon in their line-up, to ensure their success.

Mia bent down. "Bring me the boy," she commanded to the leader, a burly houndoom with multiple scars crisscrossing its black hide. She used her Aura to project a mental image of the teen to the pokemon. "The others you can eliminate. Go!"

The pokemon diverged into two smaller packs of six each and they charged down the two streams, yelping and howling the whole way.

XXXXXXXXXX

May shuddered as a howl echoed through the forest, causing shivers to run down her spine. "I think something's after us!" she panicked.

The stream dropped down to a fifty foot, waterfall, the water churning and roaring below them. They couldn't jump, lest they suffer injury from the jutting rocks. They had become trapped, and the howls and barks were coming closer.

Blaidd perked his human ears up. "Mightyena and houndoom from what it sounds like."

"Oh great, a pack of blood thirsty dark types. Fun way to end the day." Drew pulled out a pokeball. "Masquerain, come on out!"

May took the hint. "Glaceon, Venasaur, you too!" The blue fox pokemon shook its head and the temperature suddenly dropped. Ice crystals formed on the surface of the water.

Brock did likewise. "Let's go Croagunk!"

The houndoom and mightyena soon came in sight, with four mightyena and two houndoom. Saliva dripped from their mouths at the prospect of prey.

"Glaceon, use ice shard!" May commanded. The temperature dropped to freezing levels as the moisture around Glaceon froze into jagged pieces of ice. With a mental effort, the pokemon launched the shards into the slavering pack. A handful of the shards went into the leading mightyena's chest and throat and it tumbled over, blood spewing from its wounds. The others went sailing by or nicking the other pokemon. They roared in rage at the death of their comrade.

May was repulsed by the idea of killing another pokemon, but it was either her or them. "Glaceon, ice shard again!" The fox pokemon attacked again, but the dog pokemon were wily enough to pick on to the trick and they nimbly dodged the attack. In a few strides, they were on the group of trainers.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ash, Misty and Max splashed through the stream, trying to escape the howls. There was no time to worry about their friends now, their survival was imperative. Max's foot caught on a wet rock jutting out and he tripped, twisting his ankle in the process. He groaned as waves of pain shot through his foot.

"Max!" Ash and Misty ran to him.

"I think I twisted my ankle," Max whimpered.

Ash bent down and offered for Max to climb on, piggy-back style. Misty grabbed the boy's pack. "You on there tight?" Ash asked.

"Yep."

"Okay then." the trio were off again, Ash considerably slower due to the added weight. Pikachu scampered alongside the couple.

XXXXXXXXXX

May's Venasaur was the first to react. It launched out with its vines, keeping the pack at bay as it swung the vine whips around like a bullwhip. One vine sent one of the houndoom crashing into a tree trunk, where some of its ribs cracked with a wet pop. The venasaur finished the houndoom off with a blow to the creature's spinal cord, ending the beast's misery. One of the mightyena ducked underneath the vines and clamped onto one of the meaty appendages, drawing blood. The venasaur bellowed and swung the mightyena around, but the pokemon hung doggedly on with its teeth.

Drew recalled Masquierain back into its ball, making the realization that it would all be useless in this situation, so he called out another pokemon. "Absol, use psycho cut now!"

The black and white lupine pokemon appeared and it shot out a transparent 'blade' of purple energy. It struck the clinging mightyena, but the pokemon still wouldn't let go, so the disaster pokemon took more extreme measures. Using Venasaur as a launching pad, it swung its black horn upwards, into the chest cavity of the mightyena and jerked its head backwards, eviscerating the pokemon. The mightyena fell to the ground, dead. The four had to repress the urge to become violently ill. May was glad that Max didn't have to see this. He owned a pochyena. Absol bounded off Venasaur to engage a houndoom, but was knocked aside into a tree, leaving May and Drew wide open for another attack..

Blaidd held his own too, launching an aura sphere at a charging houndoom, giving a satisfied smirk when the aura sphere collided head on. The houndoom's head twisted funny with the impact, breaking its neck. Another houndoom, enraged, leapt at him. Blaidd grabbed the beast by the curved ivory horns and twisted sharply, snapping its neck too. He tossed the creature aside.

Brock found himself backed up against a tree, his croagunk protecting him from a snarling houndoom. Spittle dripped in long streams from the beast's snout. It lunged for the man, until it was stopped by a poison jab from Croagunk. The houndoom went careening away a few feet then sneered at the diminutive pokemon, thinking it an easy challenge. Croagunk leaped high above the beast's slavering jaws and came down with a brick break attack, cracking the pokemon's skull. The houndoom dropped to the ground, blood leaking form its facial orifices.

The remaining houndoom ducked under Venasaur's vines and jumped at May, who had nothing to defend herself, until Drew jumped onto the beast, grabbing the dog pokemon by the ivory horns, jerking the creature away from May, over the waterfall. "Oh, no you don't, you mangy mutt!" Drew shouted.

"Drew!" May screamed, watching as the houndoom, with Drew still clinging on, plunge into the churning river.

"No!" Blaidd cried out, his heart twinging at the girl's anguished cry.

XXXXXXXXXX

The foamy waters poured into Drew's lungs as he and the houndoom tumbled into the waters. By some sort of miracle, the houndoom impaled itself on a jagged piece of black rock as it fell down. Drew was flung off the beast's back with the impact, crashing into the waters. Water flooded into his nose and mouth as he struggled to stay alive. His shoes touched the bottom and he thrust himself upwards, hoping that he would get to the surface in time.

May skidded down the shifting rock face to find Drew, fervently praying that he was still alive. She noticed the houndoom impaled on a spur of granite at the foot of the waterfall, but her eyes went back to the churning water. There was a flash of green as Drew surged out of the water, absolutely soaked and coughing intensely, but he was otherwise alright. Brock and Blaidd helped him out of the water.

Drew coughed up more water. "Remind me never to do _that _again." he remarked.

"You better not!" May scolded. "That, by far, had to be the stupidest thing you have ever done, ever!" She then hugged the waterlogged boy tightly, never minding the fact that he was drenched. "I'm so glad you're alright though." she planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."

Drew blushed and Brock coughed, trying to repress a snicker. "Whoa Brock! Your croagunk's evolving!" Drew pointed out

"Huh?" The frog pokemon was enveloped in a white light as its form changed, into a much larger, stronger version of itself. It stood about four feet high now, with a more developed throat sack. What appeared to be red tubes traveled down the creature's arms, to meet with a wicked red hook on each hand. "Whoa, a Toxicroak!" Brock high-fived Toxicroak, mindful of the red hooks. "Nice job buddy!"

"Tox, toxi-croak!" Toxicroak replied.

Blaidd turned his head eastward. "I hope the others fare well." He then found a ford for the group to cross. "We'll head this way, hopefully where the others are."

** Epic moment by Drew folks! Yay for Contestshipping! This chapter was originally going to be one HUGE one, with both Ash's scene and the one above, but I got so carried away with the fight scene (The heroic moment with Drew popped in my head at the last minute, completely not planned XD ), that I was forced to split the chapters into two parts.**

**And remember, your comments are always appreciated, so don't be afraid to drop a line (except if it's a flame, then you'll be promptly blocked and shunned... SHUNNED!). I swear I don't bite...**

**Well great, that just sounded desperate...lol**


	9. Chapter 9: Black and Blue

Revival Chapter Nine: Black and Blue

Growing shadows obscured and concealed as Misty and Ash, who was still carrying Max, ran down the stream. Splashes echoed in their ears along with the cries of their pursuers. Ash was starting to slow down the added burden of Max was starting to take its toll. He came to a stand still, lungs burning. Every breath he took felt like fire running down his windpipe. Misty noticed Ash had stopped.

"Ash!" She shouted. "We need to hurry!" The cries were coming closer.

"Misty, you take Max, I'll hold them off." He didn't know why he said it, he wanted to get away from whatever was behind them badly, but a small voice inside his head urged him to make a stand.

"Are you on drugs!" Misty screamed. "Whatever the heck is out there is going to get you if you just stand there like a gaping idiot!"

Ash took a deep breath. "Trust me," he said calmly. Misty's tirade came to a screeching halt. Ash was an idiot, but he knew what he was doing, sometimes. Hopefully, this would be one of them.

"Fine, I'll take Max." Ash handed Max over to the teen. "Just don't do anything _too_ stupid, you hear me?"

"When was the last time I did something stupid?"

She shook her head. Ash watched her go, carrying Max on her back. He turned back around, ready to face the attackers. In the fading light, he could finally see the pursuers, a pack of houndoom and mightyena, three of each, looking ravenous. Pikachu bared his ruff and growled at the would be attackers, sparks trailing from his cheeks.

As he watched them get closer and closer, time seemed to slow, then come to a grinding halt. It felt like something had broke free from his mind, and the words of Blaidd rang in his head _"Clear your mind of nothing else except the Aura. Then everything will come to you."_ Somehow, faced with impeding danger, his mind had unlocked the ability to clear his mind. The world changed to outlines of shades of blue, signs that he had connected with Aura. "Aw, not now," he cursed. He tried to go back to how he saw before, but failed to. Meanwhile, the pack was nearly on them. Pikachu reacted, sending out a lightning bolt, lighting up the area for a split second, until it hit one of the houndoom. It spasmed and twitched as the electricity surged through all of its muscles. Overloaded with the energy, its heart gave out and it pitched over, crashing into another houndoom, dead.

Ash held his hands out instinctively and they became sheathed in a blazing blue fire. The color was a darker shade than Blaidd's but it was the same substance, nonetheless.

Aura.

The fire congealed into an orb, and Ash commanded it to attack the pack. The sphere flew out from between his hands and it struck a mightyena in the legs, shattering them. It collapsed into the stream, tripping up one of its comrades. Another skillfully leaped over the fallen mightyena and continued its assault. Pikachu stepped out in front of the mightyena and swung with an iron tail attack. The mightyena's head twisted funny and the bones in its neck snapped with the force of the iron tail attack, falling down in front of Ash and Pikachu. But there were still others to contend with. Ash sent out two more of the blue spheres, cracking the ribs of one of the remaining houndoom, while the other missed the group completely. The motion drained Ash of most of his strength, and he realized that he couldn't keep the Aura up much longer. The vision of blue went away, leaving Ash back in a world of a quickly approaching night.

He pulled out the heavy knife from its pocket sheath, remembering how Blaidd touted the uses for the weapon, one of which was defending himself from rampaging pokemon, just like now. The knife trembled in his hands as he shook with fright. Pikachu had engaged with a houndoom, ducking and dodging the houndoom's vicious fangs while retaliating with strikes of his own, which left Ash with a mightyena. The pokemon snarled and leaped, ignoring Mia's mental commands as it sought revenge for the slaying of its comrades. Ash flung the knife upwards, watching in horror as the knife sunk deep into the beast's chest cavity. Mightyena struggled to get free of the weapon in its chest, causing the knife to sink deeper and deeper. It clawed at Ash's face, but he was able to keep the beast away from his face by adrenaline alone. Blood spilled all over his clothes and hat in a red waterfall, filling the air with the metallic, coppery tang of spilt blood. Ash pointed the knife downward and the mightyena slid off of the knife, tainting the steam's waters with blood. Ash saw the light go out in the creature's eyes, replaced by the glassiness of death.

Pikachu came up beside him and tugged at his pant leg. "Chu?" he asked plaintively, concerned for his trainer, who saw in a state of shock. Ash looked over and saw the remaining houndoom in some brush, it's legs twitching with the overflow of electricity. A slight smell of singed fur mingled with the heavy scent of blood. The whole area smelt like death.

Ash picked up the small pokemon, taking comfort in its presence, despite his bloody clothes. "I'm alright buddy." he paused. _"No, I'm not alright. I just killed a pokemon for Mew's sake. I'm a trainer, I'm supposed to befriend pokemon, not try to kill them." _His eyes went down to his gloved hands, which were liberally covered in blood, the knife in the hand not holding Pikachu. He knelt down and washed the blade in the stream, desperately trying to avoid eye contact with the dead mightyena. He had no desire to be reminded of his crimes. The beast's eyes stared blankly ahead, as if accusing Ash of the crime. "Let's go find the others, okay?"

Pikachu chirruped a reply, and Ash wondered if the small mouse pokemon felt guilt over slaying the pokemon. Battles were designed so that a pokemon's strength wasn't as full strength when fighting. If they were, then pokemon battles would be bathed in blood, like in the olden days before pokeballs were invented. Ash had a feeling he didn't. It probably thought more about the survival of him and his beloved trainer than questioning the morals of his actions.

Night had finally fallen in the forest, making it impossible to see. Ash pulled out a pokeball. "Quilava, can you give us some light?"

The fire pokemon nodded and the flames on his back lit up, lighting the way for them. Quilava occasionally looked over his shoulder, his eyes going to Ash's blood stained clothing. "Quil?"

"Don't worry Quilava, it isn't mine," Ash reassured the pokemon, _"But a part of me wishes it was, maybe then I wouldn't feel so bad."_

XXXXXXXXXX

Misty had a small fire burning as she wrapped Max's ankle, which had swelled up slightly during their flight. Brock had the full blown first-aid kit, but everyone had a smaller version of it, in cases of emergencies like this. Her blue-green eyes cast about worriedly around them as she waited for everyone to return. It was now nighttime, and the forest always seemed to have a darker cast to it at night.

"How's your ankle?" she asked, trying to take her mind off the situation.

"It feels better." Max wiggled his toes, testing the bandage. Misty didn't have any ice to bring down the swelling, so she used the next best thing, cold water from her politoed's water gun attack. "Thank you." He looked about the campsite. "I hope May gets back soon."

"She'll be fine," Misty tried to reassure him.

"I know, but it's taking so long."

There was a rustle in the bushes and Misty sprang up, hand to her pokemon. A quilava stepped into the clearing, followed by Ash, with Pikachu in his arms. Ash looked haggard and worn, with blood stained clothing.

"Ash, you're bleeding!" She exclaimed, catching sight of his garments.

He looked down, as if he just noticed them. "They aren't mine," he said, a mournful tone in his voice.

"Then who's are-" she started to ask, but the haunted look in Ash's eyes pleaded her not to, and she stopped in mid-question. Pikachu leaped out of Ash's arms and scampered towards Max, who was elevating his foot on a log Misty had found. Ash took off his blood soaked clothing and knelt by the stream and started to wash the garments in silence.

A couple of minutes later, The others arrived as well, safe and sound, although Drew was soaking wet and cold. May went to Max, to comfort him, enveloping her younger sibling in a hug

"Heat!" He proclaimed and ran by the fire, hoping to get dry and warm.

Misty cocked an eyebrow. "What's with him?"

"Well, Mr. Hero had to play rodeo with a houndoom and flew right over a waterfall." May jerked a thumb in his general direction. May's eyes softened. "But he's still a hero."

Drew flashed a cocky smile. "Hey, I'll remember that next time when we have an argument. It'll now be my trump card."

"Oh jeez."

Ash joined the group, tossing his wet jacket, hat and gloves by the fire to get dry, wearing only his black shirt and jeans. His hair fell messily about his face, giving him a rebel like look. Misty took notice of how the shirt stretched somewhat over his upper torso, giving indications of muscles underneath and she flushed, but fortunately, the others saw it as heat from the fire.

"Looks like everyone's okay," Ash started, sitting down between Blaidd and Brock. He wanted to ask Blaidd so badly about tonight, how he was able to use his Aura, but sleep beckoned to him, as did the others. He yawned. "I'm going to hit the sack. Today's been a long day."

"No kidding," Brock added.

Blaidd stood up. "Ash's right. We can recuperate at Pewter City when we arrive there." Blaidd pulled out a pocket map with Cameran Palace and the surrounding region. "After Pewter City, we head through the mountains northwards until we reach Naiad River, then we'll follow the river eastward until we hit this valley." Blaidd pointed to a small valley drawn on the map. "There are villages there, so we can restock there. From there, we'll continue to head in a northeasterly direction until we hit Cameran Palace." Blaidd furled the map back up. "Good night everyone." The group pulled out their sleeping bags and huddled close to the fire, for safety and heat. Blaidd offered to take watch again.

Misty watched Ash as he turned away from and went to sleep, Pikachu curled up in a small ball by the trainer's head. Something happened while Ash was alone, and she was determined to find out what. When she saw him, he had a haunted look in his eyes, like he did something unspeakable, and that was what worried her. _"You can't just keep it in there," _she thought. _"You'll continue to feel worse and worse about it until you can't take it anymore. I wish you would trust me and tell me what happened." _she closed her eyes and fell into a fitful sleep, a dreamless and deep sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

Eldrin paced as he awaited the return of the pack. It had been nearly two hours, and there was still no sign of the pokemon. The teens couldn't have gotten that far from them, could they? "Stella, Mia, go down the streams and check on the pokemon."

Mia shot Eldrin a dirty look; she hated to be bossed around, but he was the leader, she had to listen to him. Stella had already left down the left side, so Mia took the right. Fifteen minutes later, the two women came back, their expressions like granite. "They're dead," Mia spoke, breaking the silence.

"What do you mean, 'dead'?"

"The pokemon, they're dead. Nearly all of them were killed." Stella added, placing two pokeballs in Eldrin's open palm.

Eldrin opened the balls to reveal two of the remaining pokemon, a houndoom with broken ribs along its left side, and a mightyena with shattered front legs. Both of the belonged to Eldrin. His eyes widened and his face paled at the sight. He knelt next to the whimpering pokemon. He had raised them both from when they were pups, now they were gravely injured, on the precipice of death. He placed them back into their respective balls. "Stella, do you have any flying types on you?"

"Just my fearow, why?"

Eldrin thrust the pair of pokeballs at her. "Because you're taking them back to the island, now."

"I'm not some slave to boss around all the time, Eldrin!"

"Well, I can't send Mia off. She's a tracker, I need her. You're not, you're just a soldier, therefore, you're going."

Stella snarled, but agreed reluctantly. The pokemon needed attention, and fast, before they would die. She summoned her fearow and climbing on the back of the vicious bird, flew off into the night sky, Eldrin's pokemon shoved in a satchel.

Eldrin watched the fearow disappear, then turned to Mia. "We'll make camp here for the night. Then, we'll go after that brat. The Master will have him alive, but not before I have my way with him."

** I always like giving my villains some sort of redeeming quality. Eldrin cares for his pokemon, he doesn't see them as tools like the others.**


	10. Chapter 10:Confessions

Revival Chapter Ten: Confessions

Pewter City loomed ahead, the dark stone buildings the hues of the setting sun. It had taken an entire day to make it to the city, exhaustion taking its toll on the group. The addition of Max's injury had slowed them down too. They arrived at the pokecenter, which, like the other buildings, was constructed out of stone. The city was known for its rich quarries, selling slabs of granite, marble, and other valuable rock. Recently, a miner had discovered a vein of a precious stone, and the city was on the verge of becoming the richest city in Kanto.

Brock had left to visit his parents for the night, telling them of their quest. Max was lightly dozing on the couch his foot propped up, surrounded by a bag of ice, preventing swelling. May was next to him, a magazine laying in her lap. She had fallen asleep too while keeping a vigil on her brother. The others went to their respective room, resting for the next day, save one.

Ash tossed and turned in his bed, the images of the battle playing over and over like a broken tape player which refused to stop. He didn't want to see what he had done, but his mind kept showing it over and over again. He sat upright, careful not to disturb Pikachu, who was curled in ball, resting soundly. Again, Ash wondered if the pokemon felt any sort of guilt from the previous event. Once again, he was confronted with the same answer. _"I wish I could feel the same way he did," _he thought. He softly padded out of the room, careful not to wake the other occupant, Drew. Blaidd had his own residence, as did Misty. Maybe some fresh air could help him, somehow.

Despite being in the middle of an industrial city, the pokecenter was a miniature haven for guests, with hardy flowers surrounding the grounds, and a small man-made pond lying under a grove of trees. Ash propped himself up against a tree, watching as a small breeze created ripples on the pond. His eyes roved down to his hands, their trademark gloves off for the night. He could still imagine the mightyena's blood on them, dripping from his fingertips, the imaginary scent of blood overwhelming his senses, even though there was no blood at all.

How could he have done this, this crime? It had all happened in an instant, so how could he have stopped himself from committing the unspeakable? The very memory made his stomach churn and he wished for a psychic pokemon to come along and excise the memory once and for all. Unfortunately, none of his friends possessed a psychic type, except for Misty's psyduck, whom he didn't want to be anywhere his mind. Who knew what that pokemon would do to his brain? That idea was promptly scrapped. He turned over his hands, wondering what he would do now.

He heard something shift and he perked up, trying to find the source. By some sheer cosmic coincidence, Misty had come out to the very same place he was. Ash then pondered for a minute if he was wearing some sort of tracking device, like LoJack. Her hair was down and mussed, like she had just woken up from her sleep.

"Guess you can't sleep either?" Ash asked.

She shook her head. " I was asleep, until Pikachu woke me up. He found that you had left and was worried about you. Guess Pikachu has the most sense of this group."

"Yeah," Ash went back to studying the pond.

Misty sat next to him, forcing the trainer to turn his attention back to her. "Ash, what's wrong? You've been acting funny the past couple of days, ever since the attack."

"Nothing Mist, I'm fine," he lied; after all, how could he tell her the truth?

"That is a lie and you know it," Misty scolded softly. "Something's bugging you and if you don't tell someone, it will keep growing and growing until you can't hide it anymore. Let it out now and you'll feel a lot better about it."

"How would you know?"

"Because I was once in your shoes."

Ash nodded and turned away once more, his brown eyes filled with mourning. "You wouldn't understand," he finally said, his voice a ragged whisper.

"Try me."

"You wanna know the truth?"

"Ash, I'm your best friend, of course I want to know."

Ash took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Alright, that night, when the mightyena and houndoom attacked..."

"Yes Ash, what about it?"

"One of them, one of the mightyena came at me. It was really, really angry at me. It..it jumped and I I had was that knife, you know, the one Blaidd gave to me?"

"I remember," Misty answered quietly.

"Well, the mightyena lunged at me and all I had was the knife. I held the knife up, but I'm not really sure why, but...the mightyena impaled itself on it. I,...I killed a pokemon." The last few words were barely audible.

Misty let out a faint gasp, that night's events running through her mind. That would have explained why Ash was covered in blood that night. It wasn't his after all, but the mightyena's. "Ash, it's okay. You had no choice."

Ash tried, but failed, to keep a sob in. "But Misty, I'm a trainer. I'm supposed to train pokemon, not kill them in cold blood."

"I know Ash, but you had to. It was survival. I hate to harm pokemon too, but there comes a point where survival of both you and your friends take precedence. After all, if you didn't use the knife, where would you be at the moment? Who would take care of Pikachu? Your friends? Your actions saved both Max's and my lives. Mourn the death yes, but don't dwell on it forever."

"But Misty-"

"What?"

"There was something else."

"What?"

"During the fight, I think I used an Aura sphere attack."

"Like a lucario?"

"Yeah, it was weird. I wasn't very good with it though and it really made me tired afterward, but I think it was a 'Aura Sphere' attack."

"That's really unusual. I think Blaidd did it too, when we were ambushed." Misty recalled. Ash nodded in response.

"Yeah, now that I think about it, I do remember him doing that. Guess I'll have to ask him about it later."

Misty smiled, glad and relieved that Ash was on the road to recovery. "Felling better?"

"Yeah, a little bit."

Misty got up from under the tree, stretching her legs out. She turned away for a moment and she felt something grab her hand. It was Ash.

"Thanks Misty."

"You're welcome. We better get to bed. We got a long day ahead of us."

"Alright, I'll see you in." Misty left the grove and once again Ash was alone. He glimpsed down at his hand, the one that grabbed Misty's, and he wondered what possessed him to do such a thing. And why it made him feel as if there were a flock of butterfrees in his abdomen.

XXXXXXXXXX

The high winds buffeted at Stella and Fearow endeavored to make it to the island castle that she called home. It was always difficult to get to, due to the constant shifting of currents, both wind and sea. The island stood at the crossroads of many currents, currents that clashed and collided, creating a sea of unpredictability. It was difficult to navigate as well, and only the most perceptive of riders and seafarers could navigate the region. The fearow finally landed on one of the landing platforms that jutted out from the massive structure. Stella grabbed the shoulder bag that held both her and Eldrin's pokemon and scrambled inside, the winds tugging and pulling at her cloak. At first she was bitter about Eldrin sending her away, just so his pokemon could be healed, but she realized that the pokemon were needed; these were the only two to have survived the pursuit. Her houndoom and Mightyena were killed during the clash, one with its neck snapped in two, the other with ice shards protruding from its chest.

A small insignificant part of her mourned the deaths, but in reality she didn't care much for those two species as a whole, preferring her poison and dragon types, so she saw the deaths as a minor roadblock, a delay in the overall task, nothing more, nothing less.

"What are you doing here Stella Natalios?" A voice growled as she passed one of the many chamber. She froze in mild shock, while her heart began to race. He wasn't supposed to be here:

Captain Archer, second in command only to the Master. Captain Archer was supposed to be campaigning in Hoenn, recruiting the last remnants of Teams Aqua and Magma for their force. Captain Archer was a man to not be trifled with, both ruthless and cunning and methodical in his torture and punishments. He was tall, about six feet, with wide shoulders and pectorals, evidence of his many years working with a blade. From his waist down he was slender and wiry, giving him the appearance of being almost top-heavy. Dirty blond bangs framed his face while the rest of his hair was tied back in a short club. He had proud features, with a crooked nose, broken many times, and high cheekbones which framed his icy blue eyes. His eyes, the shade of a crisp winter sky, reminded Stella of an abyss, cold and unforgiving, luring her in and repulsing her at the same time. He was clad in a black t-shirt and brown pants. His furret, a lithe beast measuring almost as tall as he, rested at his side, its black eyes watching like onyx marbles.

"I said, what are you doing here?" he demanded once again. "I had thought the Master sent you out to capture the boy."

"I would be, if Eldrin hadn't sent me here to play Nurse Joy to his pokemon." The gears in Stella's mind were whirling as the seeds of an idea took root in her thoughts. Stella never did like Eldrin all that much. True, he had his moments, such as being her lover for a span of time, but since then she saw him as an incompetent fool. Maybe if she could manipulate the situation, perhaps she could find a way to garner Captain Archer's favor and possibly exert herself as the leader of the small expedition.

Captain Archer tiled his head to the side as he shifted his weight, studying her, his eyes alight with curiosity. After a few beats, he spoke. "He managed to get his pokemon injured?" He shook his head. "He was always an incompetent idiot and useless to boot."

Stella praised the powers that be silently. Maybe this could actually work. "Yeah, he allowed Alan to get killed as well. Killed by an Aura Sphere, he was."

Archer raised an eyebrow, intrigued. The boy wasn't supposed to be able to use Aura to this extent, not yet at least. This added a new layer to the teen, something he could exploit, somehow. "Alan, the tracker, correct?"

"Yes."

"I pity him and his soul. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to do. And you better get along to play 'Nurse Joy'." The last part he sneered as his eyes raked over her. He shut the door and Stella watched as her plans fell by the wayside. It seemed that Captain Archer wasn't going to fall for her plan after all. Or he was too stupid to realize what she had meant. Deep down though, Stella knew it was the former. She sighed and trudged down the the infirmary, Eldrin's pokeballs in hand.

XXXXXXXXXX

The room was sheathed in silence as Captain Reynard Archer sat back down in his chair, unfurling a sheet of paper. Furret trotted over and flopped his head down on Archer's feet, as the Captain gave the ferret pokemon an affectionate scratch, his fingers sinking into the long coarse fur. He went back to his work picking up a pen in his left hand, and began to write.

Stella was right; Elrdin was an inept idiot and a mediocre soldier. The Master was wrong for the man to be promoted to expedition leader. Eldrin had been promoted to quickly in Archer's eyes. Actually, the Master's plan was a poor idea in the first place, full of holes and weakness for the teen and his friends to utilize. The teen was stubborn and defiant. Captain Archer had a more thought out plan, one that would force the teen to do his bidding. Captain Archer went back to the sheet of paper and pulled out a second one, a topographical map of Rota and the inner workings of Cameran Palace. Rota would be an excellent place to start his conquest, after he had the key to Sir Aaron's tomb of course. The tomb had a treasure that would guarantee Archer's conquest of the region.

Archer gave a faint smile as he wrote, the thought of having ultimate power exciting him. There were a few obstacles in his way unfortunately, one that included the Master himself, the man Captain Archer was supposed to obey. He let out a snort of amusement, causing Furret to look up, confused. The Master was old and useless, relying on the boy's naivety to get him what he wanted. He didn't realize that the 'boy' had just wiped out nearly all of the tracking pokemon, and a good soldier in the process. Archer could blame Eldrin, after all, he was the leader and therefore, all responsibility went to him. But instead, Archer condemned the Master, for making the choice in the first place.

His cold blue eyes fell on a letter opener that was lying nearby and Captain Archer had an idea. Like how a gardener would prune the dead branches of a plant, Captain Reynard Archer would have to do the same thing to the organization, so to speak. It was for the betterment for their organization in the end.

And he would be one step closer to his goal.

**And yes, Furrets are freaking huge, nearly 6 feet tall. It's a ferret on steroids! Run away!**


	11. Chapter 11: Betrayal

Revival Eleven: Betrayal

**Once again, there is violence and death in this chapter, and will continue throughout this trilogy. Just a warning, so don't flame, please.**

**Also, I would like to extend a thank you to my fellow readers and reviewers. While you may not think it, your reviews and high numbers make me feel inspired to keep writing this story to its fruition...So, thank you, sincerely.**

Captain Archer strolled down the halls of the castle, scrolls of papers bundled up under one arm, Furret tagging behind. He was to display his plans for the Master to approve of, plans on the invasion of Rota and Cameran Palace. Captain Archer had a couple of other ideas as well, ideas that would force the teen to cooperate with him. But first, he had to get the consent of the Master first.

But if all went well, Captain Archer wouldn't need permission from the Master.

"Ah, Captain Archer," The Master greeted from the depths of his throne room. "What do you have for me today?" he queried.

"Plans to invade Rota and the surrounding region, in order to force the child to cooperate with us. After Eldrin's disastrous attempts to capture the boy, it is time to resort to more extreme measures."

"And you consider the invasion of Rota to be the wisest course of action." The Master replied with disdain.

"Yes, if we invade while he is in Rota, he will have no choice but to cooperate with us, especially if he wishes for no harm to come to the city and area."

"And if that fails?"

"I'll find a bargaining chip, one that he'll have no option to ignore."

"This plan is fantastical and completely illogical," the Master scoffed. "There is no possible way of going through with this plan without drawing attention to ourselves. The mere thought of it makes me laugh. And here I thought you were actually an intelligent man." he rumbled.

Captain Archer clenched his fists, crumpling the paper in his grip. He took a couple of steps forward, placing him closer to the throne. "You know," he began. "Once upon a time, I actually thought that you were one too. Now, I see and old man who skulks in the shadows, having others do his dirty work. You no longer take risks. Instead you hide in the dark, allowing this organization to stagnate, rot. Rota is the key to our success and you scoff at the notion. Once I thought you wanted to rule over Kanto and the surrounding regions, using the power of Aura. Now I have to wonder if you even have the stones to do it anymore."

The Master started from his throne, fingers digging into the arms of the chair. "You do not address me in such a matter! For that I will enjoy cutting you down. Kutya, Hond, finish the upstart off!" He bellowed, his face turning a bright red hue.

Archer smirked. "Furret, use quick attack, then hyper beam."

Furret narrowly dived under the slavering jaws of one of the mightyenas and slamming into the beast's ribcage, knocking the wind from the dog pokemon. Furret then danced away as it gathered energy for its hyper. The pokemon started to give off a soft white glow, the hyper beam energy gathering into its seemingly delicate maw With a high pitched cry, the furret launched into the air, unleashing the full fury of the attack, the beam going into both mightyenas and the throne of the Master. There was a loud explosion as the attack connected, filling the room with an unnaturally bright light, smoke billowing around like inky plumes in the still room. Stella, who was nearby, watched with rapt attention as smoke billowed out of the throne room.

Archer smiled with barely contained triumph as he strode forward. There was a crater where the black, organically designed throne had been; only splinters and shards from the wreckage were left forward. The mightyena were now smoldering ruins of their former selves, the smell of burnt flesh in the air. The Master had somehow survived the attack, although he did not make it through unscathed. His ribs on his right side were completely broken, as was his spinal column, turning him into a paraplegic. His clothes were smoking and singed, and his eyes were wide with fear. Death was rushing forward to greet him, and he was helpless to do prevent it from happening. Furret stood off from the side, flanks heaving, panting heavily as the cream and sienna fur was slicked and spiked with sweat from the exertion. Energy now drained form the pokemon's body, Archer realized that if the Master had one final move, Furret would be helpless to stop it,but Archer wasn't really worried.

"So, the Master is now on the floor, begging for mercy," Archer crowed. "Oh how hath the mighty have fallen." He knelt next to the paralyzed man, drawing out a dagger, adorned with carnelians in the hilt. "It is time for a new era, one where we will have triumphed the pokemon world, the limitless power of Aura at our fingertips. As one would cut the dead branches off a tree, so shall we cut off our 'dead limbs', so to speak."

The Master's eyes were wide with fear as he tried to plead for mercy, yet no words would come.

"No more will I take commands from you, your insults, your mocking. You have held us back for far too long." There was a wet pop as the dagger went in between the Master's ribs, piercing the liver and other vital organs. "So long '_Master_'," he spat, scorn dripping from his lips. He watched as the light faded from the man's eyes, until they were nothing more than glassy green orbs. He pulled the dagger out, blood trickling down the metal. He wiped the blade clean with the corpse's clothing and Archer summoned Furret, who had recovered from the hyper beam.

Stella gawked as she saw Archer exit the chamber, clothes stained heavily with blood. He looked triumphant and in an instant, she realized why: Captain Archer, loyal second-in-command to the Master, had just slain his superior. Why she didn't know, but she grasped the fact that the organization was going to head in a different direction now.

XXXXXXXXXX

Four days had passed since the arrival into Pewter City. The city of stone was now far behind the group, as they wound their way through the northern mountain regions on Kanto, a rugged place where any semblance of civilization was few and far between. Jagged peaks that looked like fangs reached towards the blue sky, surrounding the group as they trekked through the slender pass, giving off the feeling that they were traveling into the maw of a fearsome beast. Ash was still troubled by the ambush, not of the killings, but of the Aura, how he managed to tap into it with ease, like it was second nature to him all along. He frowned, wondering how to ask Blaidd about the Aura Sphere attack. He hadn't got around to asking the older man, for reasons unknown even to him. But there was no time like the present, he thought. He sped up his pace, until he matched that of Blaidd's.

"Blaidd?"

"Hmm, Ash?" Blaidd seemed tired for some reason, yet his red eyes were alert as ever.

"I got a question for you."

"Fire away."

"During the ambush, while the pokemon were coming for me, something really weird happened. I mean, _really _weird."

"How 'weird', are we talking?"

"Well, all the sudden, my vision went screwy. The pokemon were outlined in blue as they came forward, and it felt like I knew where they were going. Also, I used Aura Sphere on them."

Blaidd was stunned and for a moment, he stumbled on a rock. As a Lucario, Sir Aaron had told him of a mysterious ability of Aura, one that allowed a person to view the future movements of their opponents , giving them an advantage in battle. While neither Sir Aaron nor Blaidd possessed it, the pair had heard of those who did, revered as mighty warriors on the battlefield. It would seem that Ash had fallen into this category. In a way, it was like the past had come to haunt him once more, to mock the fact that he was stuck here, waiting until he could reunite with Sir Aaron once more.

"Um, Blaidd?" Ash's voice cut off Blaidd's thoughts.

"Oh, I apologize for that."

"So? What do I have? Is it normal?"

Blaidd smiled slightly. There was something about Ash that made Blaidd feel easy with him, the young man innocence that was rapidly fading from the world around them. Now he knew how Sir Aaron felt when he taught yours truly. "From what it sounds like, you possess a rare ability known as 'Battle Sight'. It's an aspect of Aura, although it is a very rare one. It allows you to sense the future movements of you opponents, allowing you to react to any future move they might use. I do have to admit though, I am unfamiliar with the ability, only knowing what it does through legends and myths. _And my teacher." _ he mentally added. "However, I can try to teach you how to use it, although it may end up being an experimental process."

"Oh. What about the other stuff? The Aura Sphere?"

"I'm guessing it was just instincts that kicked in there, in combination with that singular moment of mental clarity, allowing you to use Aura Sphere. Nice job to you."

Ash beamed. "Thanks. But does this mean that I still have to 'meditate'?"

Blaidd gave him a playful 'thwack' on the back of the head with his training staff, the one he still carried from the forest. "Yes, you impertinent youth!" he joked. "Meditating is vital to your training. Even when you're old and gray, I'll still make sure you're meditating."

"Sounds like a scary thought."

"Indeed."

XXXXXXXXXX

Eldrin paced the tiled floor of the Pokecenter angrily, his leather boots slapping the linoleum tiles. Why he didn't come here to check in his pokemon instead of Stella flying back to the castle was beyond him, perhaps he was paranoid, even though he had done nothing wrong in the eyes of the Nurse Joy, who was there to take care of Pokemon only, not question why, or how. Mia leaned against a plastic chair along the wall, her eyes closed, meditating. She had a little expertise in Aura, the ability to track people by their Auras, which was why she was recruited by the Master when she was a young woman. She focused on the boy's Aura, trying to locate him, but the constant pacing of Eldrin was distracting her, making it that much more difficult.

Her eyes snapped open, hints of blue flickering in them. "Eldrin, will you stop pacing! I can't get a read on them if you're constantly stomping on the floor like a petulant child!"

He whirled to face her. "Then try harder!" He took a deep breath to steady himself. 'Stella better be back soon, that's all I have to say."

"She'll be a while, I can promise," Mia said, closing her eyes once again, trying to drown out Eldrin's ranting. She grinned in triumph. She finally got a lock on the child's Aura. "Got it!" She crowed.

"Good, where are they?"

They're starting to enter the Northern Kanto mountain range, heading westward."

Elrdin stopped his pacing for a moment. "It's about time we got good news. How far out?"

"A few days, maybe four at the most."

"We'll start going after them tomorrow."

"That would be wise, if we had tracking pokemon. And what about Stella?"

Eldrin snorted. "We have flying types, remember? They'll track them down," he explained slowly, as if he were speaking to a child. "And Stella has Fearow, so it'll work out for us in the end."

**Ah, the Battle Sight. It was partly inspired by a novel known as _The Outstretched Shadow, _by Mercedes Lackey. It's a wonderful book, part of the _Obsidian Trilogy_ and it serves a a huge influence on this story. I mean, the book has an acerbic unicorn who has a sweet tooth and threatens people, you can't get much better than that lol.Ash and Blaidd's dynamic is also partly inspired by certain characters in the books.**

** _The Outstretched Shadow _and its successors, _To Light A Candle _and _Into The Darkness _are a beautifully written trilogy, with a rich and detailed world, filled with layers upon layers, of characters, settings and mythology, but then again, it _is_ Mercedes Lackey.. It is the biggest inspiration for my work in general and is one of my favorite trilogies of all time. So, if you're looking for an excellent high fantasy novel(s), I recommend those hands down :D **


	12. Chapter 12: Thick Among Thieves

Revival Chapter 12:Thick Among Thieves

**Yep, I'm updating early(in case you didn't notice, I update Fridays or Saturdays). Why? Because I love my readers, and I'm almost finished writing the first book in the "Aura Rising Trilogy:Revival" (throws confetti) Yay! Now, to celebrate, press that little review button...lol. Isn't it cute? Don't you just want to touch it?**

Giovanni, head of Team Rocket, waited patiently for his next appointment, a man who called himself 'Archer', at the Rocker Headquarters in Viridian City. He hadn't heard much about the man; his agents couldn't scrounge any information on him unfortunately. Giovanni always liked to be prepared before a meeting, it always gave him an advantage. This time however, he was at the disadvantage.

His secretary buzzed him. "Sir, Mr. Archer is here."

Giovanni nodded. "Good, send him in." He kept one hand by a button hidden along the side of his desk, one that would activate a squadron of Rocket troops at a moment's notice. A second, more subtle button, held his pokemon. A prepared man was an alive one. As he shifted the tiw of his black suit around, Giovanni took a furtive glance at the concave mirror he had mounted in the corner of his ceiling. It appeared that there was an unusual bulge under the left side of the man's expensive jacket. Apparently Archer was sneaking in with Pokeballs hidden under his coat. The Rocket Executive made a mental note to fire the secretary for not noticing and taking them away. Giovanni wanted to have as many advantages as possible.

Archer entered the office, clad in a black business suit, his blond hair tied back, empathizing his cheekbones and facial structure. His ice blue eyes bored into Giovanni, making the Rocket Boss shift uncomfortably in the chair. Archer caught the slight movement and flashed a comforting smile, though to Giovanni, it reminded him of a hungry predator. Either way, the Rocket Executive wasn't going to show any weakness. Persian, Giovanni's prized pokemon, sat next to him, halfway asleep, its tail twitching occasionally, half lidded eyes studying the man carefully.

"Good afternoon Mr. Archer. Come take a seat." Giovanni gestured for Archer to sit, in a large chair in front of his desk, furthest from the door. Giovanni had to manipulate the situation as much as he possibly could. Archer sat down in the chair he gestured to, much to the older man's pleasure. Maybe Archer was much naïve than he had originally seemed. "May I ask what you are doing here? I don't get very many appointments, so I am curious."

"Well you don't seem to beat around the bush, do you?" Archer retorted sharply. "Very well then. I need a freighter ship."

Giovanni was taken aback. "Excuse me, a freighter ship? Do I look like a shipping company to you?"

"But you're a man of great power and clout. Surely with all your smuggling operations you don't have a freighter ship lurking in a port somewhere."

"And why would I give you a freighter ship, even if, _if_ I had one?"

"And all available routes along the eastern coast, up to Half-Shell Cove."

"You're playing a dangerous game here, Archer," Giovanni growled. The last thing he needed was for this man to edge in onto Giovanni's lucrative smuggling trade.

"Only for a one time use. What's the matter, can't bribe some company to give me a free pass? Like I said, it is only for a one time use."

"I don't believe you. Why should I give you access to _my _ship and _my _ routes?

"Because if you don't, you'll regret making said choice." There was a dangerous edge to Archer's voice, one that suggested that the man meant business. But despite the menacing tone, Giovanni wasn't going to cave in easily.

"Alright, let's say that I do give you the ship, and the best route all the way up to 'Half-Shell Cove'. What will I get in return?"

Archer raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair, hands going behind his back, slipping under his jacket to unhook a Pokeball from his belt. He slid the ball into his shirt sleeve, hidden form prying eyes. Giovanni caught the action thanks to the concave mirror and he couldn't help but smile to himself. Archer was planning something and he knew every move. "Well, to answer your question Giovanni, you would get to keep your life in return, if that's what you value." He replied coolly, callously.

Giovanni stood up from his chair. "Do _not _talk to me that way, or so help me, you'll leave this office in a body bag," he threatened.

"Try it."

Giovanni was growing rapidly tired of the man, wanting to get rid of him, permanently. His hand went to the switch hidden in his desk, to release his pokemon. But Archer got to him first. "Furret!" he shouted, releasing the ferret pokemon. "Use 'slam' now!"

"Persian, use 'slash'!" Giovanni commanded. The cat pokemon sprang into action, his claws glowing white. Furret ducked under the lengthened claws and struck the cat in the chest with his long tail. Persian yowled in pain as he went flying into a bookshelf. Meanwhile, Archer leapt over the desk, hand pulling out a thin knife, as long as the length from the meaty part of his palm to his middle finger. He slammed Giovanni into the back wall, knife to the mafia boss's throat. Persian and Furret were in a standoff, their hackles raised as they circled each other, snarling and hissing.

"Like I said, the boat, or your life," Archer hissed, the knife still at the man's throat, pressing deeper, until a thin line of blood appeared, a stark contrast to the tan skin.

Giovanni swallowed nervously, sensing the cold metal of the knife. Now he was _really _going to fire the secretary for not noticing anything. Giovanni felt helpless, like the time when his gym burned down of unknown causes, which gave him a headache for days. He had no choice in the matter really; he could live with the humiliation of being defeated, he couldn't live with being dead. "Fine," he croaked. "You have your ship."

"And the route," Archer added.

"And the route," Giovanni wheezed, his vision going blurry. He felt a sudden release and he sank down on the wall, hand at his throat, gasping for air, the thin trickle of blood staining his fingertips. Archer sneered at the sight.

"Pathetic," He mocked scornfully. "The once 'mighty' Rocket is on his knees, weak and broken, like the feeble man you are, nothing more than a bloated man, acting as a parasite on the community. Well, no more." Archer returned Furret to his ball and stick out his hand. "The information?" he demanded. Giovanni pulled himself off the floor and snatched a Post-It note and pen. He scribbled down on it and thrust it to Archer, who took it gratefully. As Archer started to leave the room, he spun to the man on the carpeted floor. "So long, _Giovanni_," He spat bitterly.

Archer left the building, the eyes of the other workers in the building focused on him. He closed the glass doors behind him. He walked to a burly looking man about fifty yards, sitting patiently on a bench under a old oak, dressed in civilian clothing, the guise of a construction worker. "Bring it down," Archer commanded, once he got close to him. The man nodded and pulled out a detonation switch and pushed down the button on top.

Archer felt the heat roll off of him in waves as the building exploded in a rain of glass, metal and debris. With a groan, the building collapsed to the ground, like a mighty beast breathing its last. Glass fell from the sky in red molten drops, the heat from the explosion melting the shards in the air. Archer was victorious; he had cleared one of his biggest obstacles towards complete and total power. The whine of police and ambulance sirens reached his ears and he said, "Let's go," without watching the results of his labors. There would be time for that later.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The office was a disaster; smoke laid heavily in the air and building materials, or what used to be, was in piles. There was nothing left of the room, but then, something shifted under a pile of beams and metal. A hand managed to make its way to the surface, a gold and sapphire ring dusty with the smoke and churned soot. The hand pushed some of the debris aside and Giovanni managed to pull himself out form underneath. He had survived the explosion, mostly due to the fact that the room had been built to survive just about any disaster, natural or man made. He coughed as he breathed in the air and looked about frantically, searching for Persian. A woeful meow answered his unspoken question and he shoved metal and wood aside, looking for him. He finally found Persian after a few moments, his leg pinned under a wooden beam, clearly broken. The persian yowled in pain as Giovanni moved the beam off the cat's flank and winced at the sight of blood staining the cream colored fur.

Giovanni lifted Persian in his arms and waited, unable to leave the room because of the instability of the now destroyed structure; any misstep and the building could collapse even more so. He ruminated for a minute, trying to discern what had happened. It seemed pretty obvious, after Archer left, Giovanni went back to work, trying to push the previous events form his head as he worked. Then, there was a loud 'boom' and the building start to shake, then groan as it started to cave in on itself. Giovanni managed to survive by flinging himself under the mahogany desk he imported from Hoenn, the desk was now destroyed to a pile of splinters.

He bit the inside of his cheek, his mind quickly running through a mental list of enemies he made over the years. He was a smart man, eliminating his enemies before they could enact revenge, but occasionally, a couple managed to slip through his fingers, and he assumed that they had now passed away or got out of the business. But for some reason, one name stuck in his head, Archer. It made sense, but at the same time, it didn't. Was Archer attempting to take over his hard earned enterprise, or was it something else? He didn't know at the moment, but at the moment, he didn't care.

As someone ancient once said, 'an eye for an eye', and even if it killed him in the end, Giovanni was going to take his revenge. Nobody bombed his headquarters so blatantly like that.

A shaft of light pierced the 'roof' of the room and a voice shouted down to him. "Mr. Giovanni! Are you alright sir?" ah, the Viridian City Police. How naïve they were in their dealings with him. Giovanni wore many masks in the city of green, one of a rich businessman, the other of a ruthless crime lord. There were others, but they were buried deep within his psyche.

"I'm fine! Thank you!" Giovanni shouted back. "But my Persian's hurt. His leg's broken. We need to get him to a Pokecenter right away!"

"I'll get to that right away!" The rookie ran off, presumably to get assistance. Giovanni stewed, a plan forming in his mind. Archer would pay for what he did. The Rocket head was going to hunt the man down and make him pay. He would destroy Archer's plan at every turn, chuckle as Archer raved at the failures.

But first, to figure out what he wanted with the ship.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Stella watched in amazement as the freight ship was becoming loaded with supplied, soldiers, and their pokemon. She watched the scene unfold at the dock up high on a balcony, her brown eyes peering down. Captain Archer stepped up next to her. "Impressive, isn't it?" he asked softly.

She nodded in response. Archer placed a hand next to hers, on the railing. "Just wait until we're actually in combat. Then we'll _really _be impressive."

**Don't worry, Giovanni will be bahck (laugh at the Arnold impression), but not until later. So while it may seem random now, trust me, nothing I ever do is random. Well, with my stories anyway; everything else is fair game :)**


	13. Chapter 13: Of Rivers and Oceans

Revival Chapter 13: Of Rivers and Oceans

The days slowly blended into two weeks as the group trekked up through the narrow mountain passes, making their way to Rota. They came across the river that Blaidd spoke of, the one that ran westward until it hit the valley. For a moment, Ash wondered how long he had been on the road, weaving their way through the drab cliffs and mountain crests. The mountain offer little food, or shelter to the weary travelers, forcing them to survive on their supplies. Thankfully, thanks to hindsight, and the advice of Blaidd, they had stocked up on food, plenty to sustain on until they arrived at the small villages that dotted the landscape surrounding Rota and Cameran Palace.

The group was currently cautiously treading along a narrow path that overlooked Naiad River, a churning frothing river that ran from west to east, the head waters north of Pweter, the delta, if it could even be called a delta, ended a few miles from Cerulean City, a small delta that was in stark contrast the the seething beast below them.

Ash gulped in fear. He didn't mind heights, and he didn't mind water, but when the two were put together in such a matter, he started to enjoy neither. "Will this ever get wider?" He asked to Blaidd, who was leading them.

"Not for a while," Blaidd replied his eyes straight ahead.

"Scared, Ash?" Misty asked, concerned. She looked pale with fright, but other than that, she showed little to no fear.

"Well..," he began, but he was interrupted by a cry up front, where Drew, May and Brock were. Drew had a misstep and a section of the trail gave way from his foot and he started to fall. May managed to catch him by one arm, while Brock grabbed him by the other arm. They pulled Drew up, much to the relief of the coordinator.

"Thanks," he gasped shakily, his face white with fear.

Ash cast his eyes upward, thinking that maybe focusing on the border between earth and sky would be the best thing for his fear. His brown eyes caught a winged silhouette, highlighted by the afternoon sun and the clear blue sky. The silhouette wheeled and circled above the group, like a black sceptre. Then in a ragged cry, it broke off and headed westward, picking up speed, until it was no more.

"Funny," he murmured. "I don't recall any flying types around here. Blaidd?" he shouted. "Are there any native pokemon in this area?"

"Other than the water types, no. The area's very sparse and devoid of life."

"Oh," he glanced back at where the silhouette disappeared, and wondered what exactly what he saw. Maybe it was an illusion, or something worse.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Pidgeot arrived in a flurry of downy feathers as it landed in front of Eldrin and Mia. The pair had decided to go on without Stella, knowing that she could just find them using her fearow. The pair had been tracking them for nearly two weeks, always a little ways behind them, due to the fact that they were behind them by four days. Pidgeot finally found them; t wasn't that hard, since they were the only moving life in the lifeless mountain range.

"Pid, pidgeot!" it cried, telling Eldrin of her find.

Eldrin sighed in relief; things were starting to go right for him. Maybe he could finally prove his worth to the Master. "Good girl," he praised the bird pokemon. He ran his hands through her long and elegant crest. "I have one more thing for you to do for me, my girl." He sent her back into the sky once again and summoned his Tauros, wearing a embossed leather saddle. He mounted the horned beast, watching as Mia summoned her Dordrio and did likewise. He pulled out his crossbow. "It's time to end this." The tauros and dodrio charged up the mountain trail, following Pidgeot's path.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Misty froze, the ground rumbling under her, miniscule pebbles jumping into the air. Something ominous was about to happen. The others froze in their tracks as well, feeling the earth tremble and shake under their feet.

"What's happening?" Max yelled, panicked. "Is it an earthquake?"

"I don't think so!" Blaidd fell into a battle stance, his knees bent slightly, hands glowing with Aura. Ash, noting Blaidd's position, did the same. For the past two weeks, Ash had been training with Aura more intensively, but for some reason, Ash's abilities weren't as strong offensively, despite having 'Battle Sight'.

A Pidgeot landed in front of Blaidd, her crest flaring out behind her. The beast spread her wings out and hissed, ruffling her feathers as she did so, making her seem twice as big. Blaidd gulped anxiously. While he was no longer a fighting type, he knew his Aura attacks were not going to be as effective against the bird pokemon. Then, behind the line, a tauros and dodrio arrived, dust clouds billowing at their feet. On their backs sat two people, a man with short red hair and cold brown eyes, the other a woman with curly blonde hair. Both had crossbows raised.

The red head spoke. "Hand us the boy and no one gets hurt," he commanded, eyes going to Ash.

Blaidd half turned to face the man, one eye on the angry bird pokemon, the other on the crossbow in his hands. "No," he refused simply. "Ash isn't going with you, Eldrin, or your ilk anywhere decide to take him."

Eldrin snorted. "You think I'll listen to you? Now move, Blaidd."

Blaidd snarled, a bestial growl. "No."

Eldrin raised the crossbow, setting the sights on Blaidd's chest. "Suit yourself."

Blaidd's hands glowed with Aura. "Duck!" he bellowed, as he launched two Aura spheres from each hand. The gang ducked as one struck the Pidgeot in the chest, the other went whizzing at Eldrin and the Tauros. The Aura Sphere collided with the thick skull of the beast and he went tumbling away, just as Eldrin fired the crossbow. The arrow hit the limestone cliff face and it shattered into splinters over their heads. Eldrin shouted as he leapt over the fallen Tauros, drawing a long sword. Mia prepared to fire her crossbow too, which was blocked by the sudden movement of Eldrin, who had managed to place himself in her line of sight.

Ash held out his hands and fired an Aura Sphere at the charging man, but his wasn't nearly as powerful. It stuck the trail, sending limestone dust spraying everywhere. Cracks appeared in the stone and raced outward from the collision of Aura on rock. The rock gave way from under Eldrin's feet and with a cry, he fell into the churning river. But the cracks continued to grow and the trail started to give way from the Aura. Misty was frozen in fear as her eyes followed the rapidly growing cracks and she felt the earth grow soft. Ash felt it too and his eyes widened with horror as Misty fell too into the rapids, following the path of Eldrin.

"No!" he screamed and taking Pikachu off his shoulder, he dove in after her, full of guilt that he caused the accident.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried and started to follow the path of his trainer, but was caught by Max, who held the pokemon close to his chest, shaking his head, eyes welling up. Meanwhile, Mia waited on the other side of the gap, firing arrows, but they did little damage. She sneered in distaste. The boy they were pursuing had dived into the river, and now her task was all but useless. She turned Dodrio away and fled the scene. If anything, she could meet up with Stella and search for the boy's body. Eldrin's as well, there was no way that anybody could survive the dive.

Blaidd and the pidgeot faced off, Blaidd's hands alight with Aura. He knew that the Aura attacks wouldn't do as much damage to the bird pokemon, because of type dynamics, but he had to do something. Brock, who was right behind Blaidd, got an idea. He jerked the Pokeball off his belt. "Toxicroak!" he cried. "Use poison jab now!" The pokemon appeared in white light and leaped off sideways off the limestone walls, its hooks grabbing onto the natural handholds formed by erosion. He then propelled himself off the wall and landed on the pidgeot. He raised his hooked hands, dripping with poison, up high, and swung it down, the hook sinking deep into the breast feathers of the bird pokemon. With an indigent squawk, the bird pokemon hopped into the air, trying to fling the poison type off. Toxicroak managed to leap off in time and landed behind Blaidd, who launched another Aura Sphere at the bird, who was starting to fly away westward, albeit staggering in flight, the toxins Toxicroak injected into the beast taking its toll.

Blaidd, now satisfied that the bird and Eldrin were gone, turned to see what the damage was. Amid the chaos in the small confined space, he didn't notice that Ash and Misty had fallen into the river. He gaped in shock at the gulf the spanned fifteen feet, with Ash and Misty not in sight. "What happened?" he asked, panic gnawing at him.

Max spoke first, hiccuping. "Misty fell...in, and then,...Ash went in af-after her."

Blaidd sank to his knees. "No," he whispered. "No!" He had failed his task, he failed Arceus. Now he was to be stuck here on this piece of earth, the hope of joining Aaron in the afterlife slipping further away. "NO!" He held his face in his hands, refusing to look at the river. No one could have survived the fall into the river, then fight the raging currents. He barely felt May's hands on his shoulders.

"Blaidd," she said softly. "We need to get going. Both Ash and Misty have water pokemon with them. They'll be okay. We'll just meet them down further the river. We should get going."

Drew nodded. "May's right."

Blaidd slowly pulled his face away from his hands. "You're right. We need to get going." His red eyes caught the blue sky, which was starting to darken. "We'll need to find shelter soon. It gets dark fast here in the north."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Misty watched as the river rush up to meet her. She braced herself for the impact with the waters. She was an expert diver, competing on the city-wide diving team in addition of gym duties, but she knew that she wouldn't have enough time to manipulate her body to lessen the shock.

Her body screamed in pain as she hit the water. The water was so _cold!_ The frigid temperatures seeped into her bones and made it difficult to even think. Her hands fumbled for a pokeball, any one! Well, maybe except psyduck. She struggled against the currents as they swept her away from where she went in. Her numb fingers clamped around Starmie's pokeball and she frantically pushed the button to release the star pokemon. In a flash of white light, the pokemon appeared in the water, ready to obey Misty. Her hands weakly grasped the points of Starmie, who pulled her up to the surface, but in the process, she got pulled in an undercurrent, which dragged her under again. Her calf was sliced open by a protruding branch and she sucked in her breath sharply, inhaling water through her nostrils. She realized her mistake. She could see her world- as murky as it was-, fading. She was going to drown. How ironic, a water type trainer drowning. She barley noticed the hand the grabbed her arm.

Ash plunged into the waters, the bitter temperatures soaking his clothes. Ash wasn't as experienced as Misty was, but at the very least, he knew how to sort of swim. But that was what Buizel. He fumbled for Buizel's ball, and grasped it, summoning the sea weasel pokemon. He couldn't command the pokemon underwater, but the sea weasel pokemon knew what to do. Ash grabbed Buizel's foot. The pokemon inflated the yellow tube and they immediately shot upwards, the air in the tube changing their weight. As they burst through the surface, Ash's eye caught a flash of red up ahead.

"It's Misty!" He shouted. "Go to her Buizel!"

"Bui bui!" The Pokemon replied and with a burst of speed, the pokemon shot through the water, like a knife in soft butter. The creature was built for water, with its double tails and webbed feet, to his large lungs and inflatable neck tube. But as they neared her, she suddenly shot back under the water, dragged under the water by an undertow. Buizel instinctively changed directions, avoiding the undertow. A plume of red appeared in the water and Ash shouted to Buizel, "Take me underwater! Now!"

"Bui?"

"Just do it!"

Buizel took a deep breath and dived under the water, striving against the currents that were threatening to drag him away. Ash hung on to Buizel by one hand, as his eyes scanned for Misty. He spotted her, going limp and barely clinging to her Starmie, who was tiring. He grabbed onto her arm and he nodded to Buizel, who shot back to the surface. Ash sputtered and gasped as he spat out the water out of his lungs. Misty was barely conscious and he noticed that her leg was bleeding badly. He prayed that Misty could hold on to Starmie long enough to find a place to land.

"Buizel bui!" Buizel pointed to a cave, located about fifty yards ahead, on the left side of the river, a limestone cave that had been eroded away by the water. There was a small ledge, allowing them to land safely.

"Go to it!" Ash commanded to Buizel, trying to shout above the roars of the currents. After fighting the currents, they managed to land in the cave. Ash dragged Misty into the cave, who was unconscious at this point, her pallor pale and her breathing shallow. He knelt next to her, his eyes going to the nasty gash on her right calf, staining her fair skin a thin slick of red. He felt a lump form in his throat and he felt helpless, more helpless then he ever had. He could only try to find a way to save her.

XXXXXXXXXX

The freighter ship, packed with soldiers, pokemon, and supplies, sliced through the waves smoothly and effectively, a piece of technology at its finest. Archer sat at his office, making the final plans. Dispatching Giovanni was much easier than he originally planned and he found that many Rocket Grunts were now flocking to his banner, as beasts would do when their leader is defeated, fall under the rule of the stronger one. There was a knock at the door and he paused in mid-writing.

"Come in," he stated, not looking up.

A thin soldier appeared at the doorway of his office. "I have some interesting news for you," he started. The soldier paused waiting for Archer's reaction with bated breath, as if he couldn't contain it.

Archer sighed, exasperated. Did leaders have to deal with imbeciles like this man all the time? "Yes?"

"Our Galactic spies have told us that two of the boy's companions, a boy named Gary Oak and a girl named Dawn Berlitz are traveling in the Sinnoh region. Also, the boy's mother resides in Pallet town, located here in Pallet."

Archer stopped writing, his blue eyes alight with the seeds of a plan. Maybe if he had a bargaining chip or two... "Send two contingents of soldiers. One to Sinnoh, the other to this Pallet town. It wouldn't hurt to have a few bargaining chips at hand ..." he mused.

The soldier nodded smartly. "Right away sir!" The lackey bolted out of the office, probably feeling important of the task Archer gave him. Captain Archer shook his head. Maybe having imbeciles wasn't so bad after all.


	14. Chapter 14: Trial By Blue Fire

Revival Chapter 14: Trial by Blue Fire

**Despite the gender of Ash's pokemon being not known, I will give them genders. Quilava is a female, while Buizel, Staraptor, Torterra, Pikachu and Glalie are males (their genders have been confirmed mostly, except for Torterra. Because having asexual pokemon can be just awkward.**

**Also, I wish to apologize for posting these next two chapters very late. I typically post on Fridays, but because of school work and medical issues I was unable to post on my regular schedule. Now I'm relatively on track now and to make up for the delay, I'm going to post the next two chapters instead of one, this one and the next one. Thank you for your patience and sticking by me. **

Night was quickly falling on the small cave where Ash and Misty was staying at. Quilava was in a corner of the cave, Ash's jacket and other fabric goods drying on the heat vents on her back. Ash was still beside Misty, placing a gauze pad on her wound. It was a jagged gash, deeper in some places, shallower in others. She still hadn't woken up yet though, which worried Ash greatly. He didn't have Pikachu nor Brock, so he was unsure how to tend to injuries this severe. He pulled the gauze pad away from her leg, checking the rate of bleeding. The bleeding had slowed down to a trickle, but it hadn't stopped completely. He did a mental checklist. He cleaned it, and placed a disinfectant on the wound, then the gauze. It just seemed so futile, since she wasn't waking up.

"Man, Mist, I'm so sorry," he said finally, into the gloom. "If I hadn't did the Aura Sphere, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess." As he said it, his hands started to glow as the Aura flowed through his veins, as if it was reminding him of his mistake. Whether by instinct, or something else, he tentatively pulled the gauze pad away from the horrific wound and placed his hands just a few inches above it. Without guidance from him, the Aura flames spilled over from his hands, seeping into the wound. Before his eyes, the wound began to knit itself from the inside out, fueled by the Aura. Ash knew it was Aura and not something else; he felt the steep drainage of strength whenever he used Aura. The cave took on a blue glow as the healing process continued. A few heartbeats later, the wound was completely healed, with only a faint scar to show it was even there. Color rushed back to her face and she took in a deep breath. Ash, scrambled back, stunned by the turn of events.

Her eyes fluttered open and she started to choke on the water she inhaled in the river. She pulled herself upright, her hands going to the wound. Ash watched as she inhaled sharply as she realized that there was no wound. She whirled around and she caught the gaze of Ash, who looked embarrassed. "Wh-what just happened?" she stammered, looking at Ash's glowing hands.

"I-I don't know," he replied, glancing down at his hands. The glow began to subside, dimming the cave. "I think I just healed you, I think."

She tilted her leg, studying the thin scar. "I think so too. Where are we?"

"I don't know. Buizel found the cave, not me."

"How did we get here?" Clearly, she didn't have a crystal clear recollection of the events.

"You-you fell into the river. I went in after you."

"You saved me?"

"Yeah, that's how we ended up here."

"I realize that." she paused, clearing her throat. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Saving my life."

"Oh." the cave was cloaked in silence as they were deep in there own thoughts. Ash shuffled uncomfortably, for his jeans were soaked from the river. He glanced over at Quilava, who was asleep, curled into a ball, heat radiating off her like a furnace and noticed the blanket draped over her heat vents. He reached over and grabbed it off. Quilava opened a half lidded eye drowsily, then went back to sleeping. He offered it Misty. "You look cold. Do you want it?"

She was taken aback by the gesture, but she took it gratefully, nonetheless. "Thank you. What about you?"

"I'll be fine, I promise. I can just sleep next to Quilava. She's warm." Quilava brought her head back up and shot him a look to say 'as if'. She shook her head and went back to sleep, wondering how many more times her trainer was going to disturb her rest. Ash grabbed his jacket, which he had taken off earlier and dried, and turned it into an improvisational pillow. He closed his eyes and fell asleep rather quickly.

Misty remained awake however, the blanket warmed by Quilava wrapped snugly around her. The heat radiated off the blanket, warming her to the core. She stared off into the darkness, the roars of the river pounding in her ears. Today's events flew by in a flash, like the currents that took her away. If it wasn't for Ash, well, she might have not survived the day. She shuddered at the thought. Her eyes tore away from the inky blackness of night, to rest on Ash's sleeping form. He had a horrible habit of snoring, one that seemed to escalate as a teenager. He saved her life twice today, but neither of them knew how he did it the second time. The memory of the Aura on his hands and the look on his face rose up again and couldn't help but feel concerned for him. This Aura, it changing him, in more ways than he probably wanted. The thick fabric of the blanket brushed against her bare skin, breaking her away from her thoughts, giving her an idea.

She crept forward, careful as to not to wake him. She sat next to him and shifted the blanket off her shoulders and she draped it over his back. She paused, realizing that they would have to share the blanket, if she wanted to keep warm. Misty flushed at the thought of being in such close proximity of him, but survival instincts kicked in. Besides, two people next to each other was warmer than just one, right?

_"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that_," she thought with a snort. But sleep was starting to override any sense she had and she finally gave in, crawling under the heated blanket, falling asleep with her back turned from Ash.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Blaidd and the others managed to find a cave up further along the path. The others had finally fallen asleep, after a dinner conducted in somber silence. Blaidd berated himself for allowing Ash to do such a thing. What he did was incredibly stupid, even though some would have thought it as brave, maybe even noble.

_"But 'noble' doesn't get you anywhere, especially after you jump into a raging river." _Blaidd prodded the dying flame with a stick. They didn't find much for fire making supplies, but what they did find was quickly used up for both heat and protection. Wild pokemon, if there were any lurking in the mountains, generally avoided fire. They saw it as a threat, a harbinger of destruction. He felt tears prick his eyes and he fought off the urge to let the tears fall. He may be a human, but that didn't mean that he would give into his emotions like humans tend to do.

"Blaidd?" Max was awake, and inching towards him, trying hard to not disturb the others.

"Max you should be asleep." Blaidd looked up from the fire.

"But I can't, I have to talk to you."

"About what?"

Max leaned in close, like he were telling a deep and dark secret. "I know what you are."

Blaidd nearly choked. "What?"

"I know what you are. I should have guessed it with the chocolate."

"What about the chocolate?"

"You're that Lucario, aren't you?"

Blaidd panicked. His mask had been pulled down, his assumed identity going away with the wind. He had to keep up his bluff, or else."A Lucario?"

"The one that hung out with Sir Aaron. The one who taught Ash about Aura the first time."

Blaidd closed his eyes. Max was on to him. The boy was good, he had to admit, catching onto his identity like that. "Alright. How did you know?"

"Your eyes for one. They're red. And the fact that you know about Cameran Palace and the staff. Plus, you know a lot about Aura and you like chocolate. It's just connecting the dots." Max shoved his glasses back up nose, looking decidedly smug.

Blaidd shifted positions to where he was now cross legged. "You're quite good at observations, you know."

"Quite." Max placed his hands on his knees. "So it _is _you then."

"Quite," Blaidd shot back.

"But why didn't you tell us?" Max's tone was a blend of curiosity an accusation.

"I have my reasons, none of which need to be told here." Blaidd leaned in "But whatever you do, _don't _tell anyone."

Max nodded. "Alright."

"Promise." Blaidd insisted

"I promise."

"Good." Blaidd ruffled Max's hair, earning an indigent glare from the blacked hair boy. "Now, off to bed."

"Night Lucar-I mean, Blaidd." Max crawled back to his sleeping bag. "Wait, is Blaidd your real name, like the one you had when you were a , you know."

"Yes, it is my real name, the one my parents gave me. Night Max."

"One more question."

"What is it?"

"We'll find Misty and Ash, right?" He sounded tentative as he asked it, unsure.

Blaidd winced at the question, reminding him of his failure. "Yes, yes we'll find them." He had to, for his sake and theirs.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Gary frowned as he studied his Pokenav. He had gotten one while he was traveling through Hoenn, as a much easier tool then the typical paper. Now he was wondering if having the paper map would have been a good back up. "Dang," he cursed. "I think the thing's dying. The battery thing in the corner says so."

"Then you should have charged it at the Pokecenter," Dawn retorted sharply. It was either an elaborate setup by powers unknown, or a major coincidence, but they both ended up at Rustboro town when they landed in Hoenn. By mutual agreement, they agreed to travel together, for both security and just for companionship. It was always lonely when one was traveling alone. Gary was studying the effects of evolution in the different regions, while Dawn was competing in contests. Two vastly different goals, but they both shared a fierce drive and determination.

Gary shot her a sideways glance as Piplup snickered. "I did charge it thank you very much."

"Or was it your cell phone?"

Gary let out an exasperated noise as Umbreon joined in with Piplup's chuckles, a cross between a rasp and a purr. He swore, the cheerleaders that used to follow him weren't this outspoken. But he had to admit, it was a nice change of pace. "Yes, it was the Pokenav."

"But then why is it 'dying'?"

"I'm not the techno geek. How should I know?"

"Then let me see it."

"What makes you think-"

"Hand it over." Dawn was very stubborn when she wanted to be, especially if she thought she was right about something.

Gary rolled his eyes. "Fine. Here."

Dawn snatched the Pokenav and she studied it intently, her head at a tilt, her dark blue eyes studying the device, biting her bottom lip. "Let's see. What if we pressed this button..."

"Dawn, duck!" Gary pulled her down as a black blur flew over the pair.

"What the heck was that!" She exclaimed.

"I dunno, but here's come another one!" The pair flew away from each as something landed in between them with a heavy 'thunk'. It was a net, made of heavy cords, with weights at each corner, to give it added momentum.

Gary growled. Whatever this was, he wasn't in the mood for it. Umbreon, use 'swift' in the direction where the net came from!"

"Um, -bre!" Gold stars shot from the golden bands around the black beast's tail. There was a muffled cry as the stars spun into the woods, colliding with something.

"Piplup, use whirlpool!" Dawn commanded

Pipluuuup!" Piplup summoned a massive whirlpool above his head, a spinning kaleidoscope of colors. He flung his flippers forward, launching the whirlpool. Debris and small trees were caught up in the swirling mass of water, clearing the woods in front of them. Two dozen men and women charged out from the woods, escaping the woods and the destruction of the whirlpool. One snarled and pointed at the pair. "Get them! Now!"

Two men knelt and aimed what appeared to be cannons. In a plume of steam, two nets shot out. One of them caught Dawn, entangling her in the cords, with Piplup with her. The other one barely missed Gary

"Dawn!" Gary bellowed. "Let her go, you sleazes! Umbreon, use screech now!" Umbreon let out an ear piercing cry a sound that sounded like metal sheets scratching down a chalkboard. The men collapsed down on their knees, hands to their ears, their teeth clenching. Gary seized the opportunity to dash to Dawn. He hissed in frustration as he tugged on the cords, which refused to give way. "Argh! Why won't this break!"

One of the men, the other one who held the pneumatic cannon, managed to fight against Umbreon's screech attack and aimed the net at Gary. He pulled the trigger.

"Gary, look out!" Dawn cried. Gary just started to turn as the other net landed over them. They were trapped. A pair of men snatched Umbreon up, which kicked and clawed and scratched at its kidnappers.

One of them, presumably their leader, smirked in triumph. "That was easy. Archer will be pleased."

**Figures that Max would be the one to figure out Blaidd's real identity ;). The others will to eventually, but all in good time. **

**And remember, review on the way out!**


	15. Chapter 15: Broken Roses

Revival Chapter 15: Broken Roses

The fragrant scent of roses filled the air as Delia worked in the garden of her home, tugging out the weeds that had decided to put up residence at her garden. Dirt covered her lower forearms as she pulled at one uncooperative weed. She shot the weed a glare as she reached for her trowel. Her roses were her pride and joy, other than her son of course. According to Professor Oak, they could be award winning flowers, something she strived to achieve. Mr. Mime was sweeping the steps leading up to her house, cheerfully humming a tune under his breath. It was a beautiful summer day, one she didn't intend to waste away.

It was in these moments of bliss that her thoughts turned to her son. She hadn't heard from him in nearly two weeks, since they arrived in Pewter City. Blaidd did say that they would be traveling in a remote area for a while, but it still couldn't keep her from worrying about her only child. She smile at the ludicrousness of the thought. He was 18, he didn't need her to hover over him protectively, but she still did it anyway.

Something overhead obscured the light above her and she looked up, seeing if it was an errant cloud, blocking the sun. Instead, she saw a man, clad in black clothes. _"It must be absolutely roasting in the outfit," _she thought.

"Excuse me," he introduced himself politely. "But are you Ms. Delia Ketchum?"

"Why yes, I am," she answered, worry gnawing at her. These questions almost never ended good.

The man dressed in black nodded curtly and she noticed a sudden shift in wind, ruffling the leaves of her rose bushes. It was then she noticed that he wasn't alone. About fifteen men were stationed around her abode. "Good." he turned to the others. "Get her."

Delia barely had time to cry out before the man who had spoken to her grabbed her by the waist, knife to her throat. The others tried to dispatch Mr. Mime, but soon staggered away when the pokemon used 'confusion'. One of the kidnappers managed to avoid the attack and pull out a long thin tube. He blew into one end of it, launching a dart into Mr. Mime's throat. The tranquilizer took effect and the pokemon toppled over, fast asleep.

Dragging Delia to a van, one of the men pulled out a communicator as they scurried away from the scene. "Tell Archer we got the third one."

The communicator was fuzzy, but the message was clear. _"Good. Head to the shoreline. We'll send a boat to you."_

"Okay. Do you mind if we invaded the lab? They got some good pokemon."

_"No, you may not raid the lab. I forgot about how you Rocket idiots have to steal anything that has multiple limbs and supernatural powers. Avoid the lab at all cost. The last thing we need is for alarms to go off."_

The Rocket grunt pulled a face at the communicator. "Fine. What about the Mr. Mime? We'll be at the dock."

_"As long as they' aren't any witnesses. Bring it along, but if I get wind of selling it on the black market, so help me I'll make you wish you didn't."_

"Whatever."

_"Don't pull that tone you insignificant piece of..."_The communicator cut himself off before he could elaborate. _"Just make sure the woman isn't hurt."_

"She isn't."

_"We'll meet you there." _The other line cut off.

The man with Delia piled into the van along with a handful of others. The others, in possession of the unconscious Mr. Mime, went into a second van, parked a close distance away. The vans drove away, their only trace the plumes of dust the tires kicked up. The wind blew through the garden, revealing the roses that were crushed and broken in the melee, their petals falling away with the breeze, into the sky above.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Gary stirred from a fitful sleep, his dreams plagued with beasts, fire and deserts. His eyes tried to adjust to the murky darkness and slowly shapes started to form. A weak torch light was lit across the way, partly obscured by iron bars, a weak light that provided not much for warmth and comfort. That was when he noticed the iron bars. _"Wait, iron bars? Where are we?" _He tried to stand, but he found his legs too weak to do anything and he sank to his knees. He peered into the gloom, trying to find where exactly he was. As he moved, he heard a jangle and with a start, he found that his legs were in manacles. A chain was mounted in the stone wall. _"Well, this is great."_ he shook his leg again, and the chains clanked and clattered as they collided. _"Great." _

His hands went immediately to his belt, where he kept his pokemon. All of his pokeballs were gone, along with his pack. His Umbreon was gone too, the only indication that Umbreon was even alive was the pokemon's plaintive calls down the way. _"They must have imprisoned him too." _He then heard a sharp and angry trill. Piplup must be with Umbreon and the diminutive bird pokemon sounded highly agitated and upset.

He heard something stir and he froze, tense. He could barely make out a blue shadow and a weak voice called out. "Hello, is anybody there?"

It was Dawn. "Dawn? It's me Gary."

He watched in the weak light as Dawn moved closer. She looked absolutely wretched. Her clothes were damp and her face looked pale and sallow. "Gary?" she asked softly. "Where are we?" Gary's eyes caught the manacles on her feet as well. They both were enchained. A wave of anger swept over him. How could they do that to a girl like her, whoever 'they' were? What did she ever do to them to deserve this?

Unfortunately, he didn't have any answers for her at the moment. He could only shrug hopelessly. "I don't know Dawn. I wish I did though."

She nodded imperceptibly. "I know." She moved closer to him, seeking comfort in this nightmare. "I just wish that it didn't happen."

"Me too, me too." Gary was shocked to find that Dawn had moved next to him, her head on his shoulder, trembling, but whether it was from cold or fear, he didn't know. At least he could offer some modicum of comfort. He shifted his torso and wrapped his arms around her, the pair of them seeking something, anything to divert from this place. He wished he had his jacket at the moment, for the prison was damp and bitterly cold, soaking into his clothing, even though there wasn't any moisture.

Gary's train of thought was broken as an angry voice barked "Keep moving! Archer wants you in good condition, so you better be grateful that I can't hit you!" Gary looked up, curious. As he recognized the person that the guard was yelling at, bile rose in his throat. As if these people couldn't go any lower. The prisoner, looking dejected and defeated was Ash's mother. He roughly pushed her in the prison across the way and slammed the door.

Gary felt violently ill. Everything felt so wrong, the world felt so fundamentally wrong, like everything was placed in a box, then was shaken about, and promptly dumped when they heard something break. Despite the rivalry they had as children, Ash's mother acted as a second mother to him, especially after his parent's bitter divorce and Gary being dropped off at his grandfather's, in order to be caught in the middle of a custody battle. He wanted to call out to her, to get her attention, but one of the guards cut him off before he could even utter a word.

"Well, this is the first batch of prisoners since the incident a year ago." The guard began, appraising the trio with squinty, piggish eyes hidden within the jowls of his face , his massive bulk empathized by the leather armor, old and dirty. Gary gave the guard a dirty glance when he leered at Dawn. "What exactly does Captain Archer want with them?"

The other guard, dressed in black with a red 'R' emblazoned on the torso, let out a derisive laugh. "Archer's going to use them as bait or hostages, whichever happens first. They'll be shipped out in two weeks."

"Don't treat me like I'm stupid," the piggish guard rumbled. "And it's _Captain _Archer to you."

The Team Rocket tossed his head to the side dismissively. "Whatever, just keep them alive and in relatively good condition, okay?"

"What makes you think that I won't?"

"Well, as long as you don't eat their rations, we'll be alright."

The piggy guard let out a cry and lunged at the Rocket. The Rocket dodged the blow nimbly, and he jammed an elbow in the other's gut. The other guard gasped and staggered backwards, flopping into a chair, which groaned under the soldier's weight. The Rocket laughed again, a grating sound. "Wow, _Archer,_" he sneered. "Has pathetic soldiers."

The rotund guard, who finally caught his breath, guffawed. "Well, then your mocking yourself too. You're one of us now."

The Rocket started to leave until the guard pointed that out. "I'm only here because your leader decided to eliminate my boss. Trust me, I'm not one of 'you'."

Gary watched the exchange with perceptive eyes. There was a clear enmity between the two, and possibly between the two organizations, if this was a mirror of current situations. Maybe he could find a way to take advantage of it. His eyes went to Ms. Ketchum across the way, then back to Dawn, who fell asleep on his chest. He had to escape, for their sakes. He couldn't attempt any escape right away; one, he had no idea of their systems and two, their security will be really tight in the beginning and he could get a layout of the place. As the guards got used to the prisoners and their habits, that was when he would strike. He absently thumbed the pendent he wore. Shortly after the Silver Conference, Gary had the pendent specially modified for emergencies and at the moment, he was very grateful for the fact that the guards only saw it as a pendent, nothing more. He hunkered down and closed his eyes, waiting.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The first sensation that Ash had the next morning was that he could no longer feel his left arm. It felt numb and the occasional prickles ran up and down hie forearm annoying him and disrupting his rest. He slowly peeked open one eye, to figure out the source of his discomfort. His whole body was sore, the combination of the rocky ground and the exertion form yesterday wreaked havoc on his muscles. He then noticed that he was underneath a blanket, something he wasn't quite aware of until he realized what was under the blanket with him and thus, the source of his discomfort.

Misty had claimed Ash's arm as his pillow. He winced, imagining the pain inflicted upon him if she found the position she had ended up in. Her head rested on his bicep while her left hand rested lightly on his forearm. Her warm breath tickled his skin and his mind worked rapidly as to how to dissipate the situation. He tried to wriggle his arm out from under, but she only shifted and he realized that he was effectively trapped. He pondered the idea of waking her up, but that to would result in swift and painful injury. So he just closed his eyes once more, pretending to be asleep. He was quite good at pretending to sleep too, a skill he picked up while traveling, especially on days when he had no intention of crawling out of his warm sleeping bag and get ready for the day.

Misty finally woke, her eyes bleary with sleep. She had to admit, except for the few twinges in her healed calf, she had a fairly restful night's sleep. Until she realized that she made Ash her pillow. She quickly moved herself away, taking half of the shared blanket with her as it tangled around her feet. Ash jolted upright as the blanket flew off of him. "Wha-what happened?" He squeaked in surprise, eyes wild.

Misty flushed as she saw Ash awake. "Nothing," she quickly bluffed. "I thought I saw something. You know, a bug." she added.

Ash's face was screwed in mild confusion and Misty wondered if Ash noticed her bluff, but gratefully, he didn't question it. Or if he knew that she was bluffing, he wasn't pointing it out. "Oh. Well, we better get breakfast and try to find a way out of here."

Misty nodded and busied herself with grabbing a couple of granola bars for her and Ash. The food, despite the fact that it went through river rapids, they were still intact. She handed one of them to Ash, who took it with relish. _"He must have not eaten last night," _She thought. _"But I didn't eat either."_ She unwrapped her breakfast, and bit into it. A granola bar had never tasted so good in her life.

They ate breakfast in silence, too focused on food to make conversation. Ash took a swig from the water bottle from his pack and spoke. "Do you have any ideas on how to get out of here?"

"No, I was unconscious for most of last night, remember?"

"Oh right." Ash concentrated for a few heartbeats and he stood up and took a peek outside the cave. He glanced upwards and ducked his head back in. "Shame we aren't mountain climbers," he joked lamely. "The cliff above the cave has no handholds making it all but impossible to climb. Hmm, what if we used our pokemon?"

"Our pokemon?" Misty's curiosity was piqued.

"Yeah. I have Staraptor and he's pretty strong. We could have him hold a rope and he pulls us up. We'll also have him check above us, to make sure that there's a place to land."

"I think that was the most intelligent thing to come out of your mouth in a long time."

Ash shot her a glower as he harrumphed. "Ha ha Misty." He pulled out a pokeball. "Come on out Staraptor!" The black and storm grey plumed bird appeared, ruffling its feathers and shaking his head as he shook of the vestiges of sleep. Ash rummaged in his bag, pulling out a coil of rope. It was still mildly damp from the night before, but it otherwise looked sturdy. He knelt down to Staraptor's height. "Alright, here's the plan buddy. I want you to go outside and check the area above the cave to find a trail or something we can land on. Then once you find one, come back to us. I'll hand you this rope and as we hold on to one end and you pull us up. Got it?"

"Star star!" the great bird chirruped. In a flurry of sand and wind, Staraptor launched out the cave, zooming upwards. Ash waited patiently and a few minutes later, Staraptor returned, hopping and bobbing in excitement.

"Did you find something?" Ash inquired. Staraptor nodded vigorously and he indicated the rope with his pointed beak. "You found a spot for us to go?"

"Star, star-raptor!" He chirped and he started to grab one end up with his wicked talons. Ash looked over to Misty.

"You ready?" he asked.

Not quite yet," she responded. In truth she was nervous about dangling in the air, only held up by a bird, if a very hefty one, pokemon.

"Well, I can go first," Ash offered. "I'm heavier anyways."

"Quilava?" Ash's fire pokemon woke up finally. She looked very tired too as she queried, curious as to what was going on. Ash gave Quilava a scratch on her head.

"Don't worry about it Quilava, okay?" He returned Quilava to her ball and he picked up his pack. "Ready Staraptor?"

"Star!" Staraptor started to slowly glide out of the cave. Staraptor stopped and he started to rise upwards, coming to a stop when the rope was just barely touching the cave ledge. He hovered as Ash clung onto the rope , the stiff braided fibers digging into his hands. Staraptor started to pull Ash into the air, the great bird's wings striving to keep his trainer into the air. Ash gulped as his eyes went down to the river below him. He paled and he clung even tighter to the rope, uncaring that his hands were starting to throb. A gust of wind whipped through the river canyon and Ash swung and spun on the rope.

"Whoa!" He called out. "Careful Staraptor!" the rope slowly stopped spinning, but his stomach didn't. He caught a glimpse of the trail that Staraptor spotted in his earlier foray and Ash thanked anybody he could as Staraptor slowly went down and Ash's tennis shoes touched down onto solid ground. _"Maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all," _he thought as he tried to get his inner balance back to normal. _"I hope Misty can handle it alright. And now I remember why I don't just fly around on my flying pokemon that often."_

He then heard Misty's shout from below, echoing off the river canyon's walls_. _"Are you okay?"

"I'm okay!" Ash replied. "It's not that far actually!"

"Alright," she muttered softly to herself. She caught a flash of grey and black as Staraptor came by the cave, rope dangling in his talons. For a minute, Misty wondered if this was the best idea after all and if there was a better solution, but none came forward. She cautiously grasped the rope, feeling the rough fibers under her skin. Unlike Ash, she didn't have any gloves, so it was much more difficult to hold on too; it didn't help that her hands were starting to sweat from nervousness.

_"It's just like when you were a kid, when you played on the rope swing. Hang on with both your hands and feet,_" she mentally chanted. She wrapped her legs around the rope and she squeezed her eyes tightly, to keep from looking below. Staraptor slowly lifted up with the thermal, taking Misty with him. It was much easier this time then it was with Ash; there were no sudden gusts of wind to lurch her about. Her tennis shoes touched the ground and she released the rope gratefully; this was something that she didn't want to experience again.

"Okay, now what?"

Ash shrugged. "I'm not sure. Should we get going?"

"And get lost even more? I think that would be a bad idea, since we have no idea where we are." Misty noticed Staraptor as she got an idea. "What about Staraptor? We can send him out to look for the others, then lead them to us."

"That's a good idea. Staraptor, can you find the others for us, then bring them back here?"

"Starrrr!" The pokemon soared in the air, taking the nearest thermal to veer westward, following the river. Ash slid down against a rock face, resting his chin on his hands, waiting. Misty sat down next to him, fiddling with her pack. They had no idea how long Staraptor would take or if he could find them, but their hope rested on the bird's shoulders.


	16. Chapter 16: Reunion of Many Paths

Chapter 16: Reunion of Many Paths

The freighter landed in the delta of Naiad river in the early dredges of morning, the veil of night still dominating the hemisphere. Rivers of stars flowed and swirled in the night sky, giving a tiny amount of light to the invading army below. Archer, mounted on his pokemon, watched with smug satisfaction as he studied the scene unfolding before him. Ryhorn and Rhydon were being hitched to supply and medical wagons, infantry were organizing themselves into their formations, the battalion commanders shouting threats and commands to their charges. The sounds of preparation were music to Archer's ears. He spotted the Rhyperiors getting large baskets hooked up to the beasts, each basket holding iron shot and cannonballs. Rhyperiors were the key to his victory; with their ability to launch stones from their palms, they were living artillery. By using their abilities, he would be able to knock down the massive structures of Cameran Palace, without the need for cannons of guns.

Stella trotted up next to Archer, riding her Flygon, who was protected with hardened leather pieces, with a lightweight metal plate covering the dragon's chest. "Is everything going well with the preparations?" Archer asked.

"Yes sir. Everything is flowing well, just as we rehearsed."

Archer went back to the scene. "Good. Then taking Rota will be much easier than expected, eh?"

"Well, according to our sources, we picked the time to invade during their trainer festival. There will be many trainers with strong pokemon."

"True, but those same trainers will have no idea how to fight like we do, even if they have strong and fierce pokemon. They'll be inexperienced and will fall by the wayside quickly if they don't surrender. Your fears are misplaced, Stella."

Stella fiddled with a curl of her hair. "Alright."

XXXXXXXXXX

Eldrin, bedraggled and soaked from the river, pulled himself from the currents onto the shoreline. He barely remained alive during his ordeal, relying on his pokemon, Huntail, but the pokemon grew exhausted from fighting the rapids and Eldrin was forced to return the pokemon before it killed itself from exhaustion. His muscles cried out in agony with the exertion as he laid there on the rocky shore, too tired to even move. He felt the first rays of sunlight warm his dripping clothes and he wondered if he would die here, where he was lying. His eyes noticed a shadow grow on the earth in front of him. He slowly lifted himself off the ground to look into a set of very familiar, icy blue eyes.

"Well, what do we have here?" Archer asked, atop his steed, a Rapidash, the gray-black flames indicating that it was a 'shiny' pokemon. Archer was dressed in black armor that seemed to cover his body like a beetle's carapace. It gleamed in the sun's rays. His sword, with its ruby pommel, was strapped to his belt. " It seems that someone failed the Master, or shall we say, I?"

Eldrin could barley comprehend what Archer had just claimed. He was the Master now? He spotted Stella just behind Archer, riding her Garchomp. A long train of soldiers, wagons, and pokemon were trailing behind._ "Is Captain Archer invading Kanto? Is he mad?_" he wondered.

Archer leapt off of Rapidash and gave Eldrin a nudge with his foot. "Pathetic," Archer sneered. "Once you were the Master's valued spy, now you are nothing more than a swamped Raticate, dragging yourself on the ground." Archer bent down next to him and lifted the weak man off the ground by his shirt. Elrdin didn't resist, couldn't resist. "You see," Archer announced loudly, his voice ringing off the canyon walls, addressing the whole army. "I do not accept failures in my army, nor remnants of the bygone age, where failure was accepted at one point in time, never punished, never dealt with. But," he intoned, his voice changing completely. "I, on the other hand, will deal with failures as I see fit, as they come." He lifted Eldrin higher into the air, to the point where Eldrin's shoes barely scrapped the ground. He stared with frightened eyes as Archer's free hand snaked towards the hilt of his sword. He pulled the sword from his scabbard, raising the weapon high in the air. "Here is I deal with failures, like him!" With a smooth movement, the sword sunk into Eldrin's chest. Eldrin gasped once before he went limp with death, blood slowly pouring from the wound. Archer jerked the sword out, dropping Eldrin's corpse. He lifted the sword in the air again, blood dripping from the now red metal, showing it to the crowd.

"A new time has passed now! With the passing of the Master's pet, so has the new age of man begun. No more will we skulk in shadows, waiting for our enemy to do things for us. No more will we watch as terror organizations like Team Rocket and Team Galactic reign over the lands with an iron fist, spreading fear and suspicion. We will be the bringers of peace, beginning with the power of Sir Aaron and his tomb. On to Rota!" Archer mounted on Rapidash, but not before wiping his sword on Eldrin's clothing and giving the corpse a kick into the rivers, back to where he came from. Stella had to hide her pale face from Archer, lest he saw it as weakness and he determined that she needed to join her ex-comrade.

Archer spun Rapidash from the crime scene and down another narrow canyon that broke off from the river. Like a mighty beast coming to life, the train followed slowly behind.

XXXXXXXXXX

The night seemed to pass too slowly for Blaidd, who kept awake for the entire night, worried. He never expected to find Eldrin and his comrades to go after him once again. He thought he had broken away from their reaching grasp. _"But it seems that I didn't," _he thought to himself as he poked the embers of the dying fire with a stick they had scrounged. Now it seemed that they had decided to go after Ash now, and it was all his fault. _"I'm the teacher, I supposed to protect him!"_he mentally roared as he flung the stick into the fire, sending embers and ashes into the air. _"But now, I have brought the war to him." _ he shook his head at the depressing thought. _"No, I cannot think like that. This wasn't me, but the prophecy. He had already been chosen in the first place, that I can't change. I can only tech him and protect him from this group and their misguided ideology. I'll find them. I WILL find them!" _ he promised to the sky. He hunkered back down in the wool blanket he was wrapped in, and closed his eyes, his conscious somewhat at ease.

Morning came swiftly and Blaidd found himself being shaken awake by May. "Blaidd," she said softly. "You need to get up. We need to get going quickly, to look for Ash and Misty."

Blaidd nodded and slowly disentangled himself from the blanket. He was thankful that Max wasn't the one that woke him up, otherwise his identity might be revealed.

The four ate a meager breakfast of nutrient bars and canteens of water. The ate in silence until a shrill cry above them disturbed their meal. The four trainers's hands flew to their pokeballs, fear honing their reflexes. Brock looked up in the sky. "Wait!" He cried out. "That's Ash's Staraptor!" His presumption was correct as the bird pokemon landed in a back wing, churning up the embers and ashes from the previous night's fire. Brock went to Staraptor and poured some water down the panting bird's throat. After chugging down some of the canteen, Staraptor started to trill and screech, pointing in a southerly direction with his wing and hopping frantically.

"It seems that Staraptor wants us to follow him," Blaidd observed.

Brock started to pack up his things. "Well then, we'll follow him after we pack up our stuff."

"Do you think it's Ash and Misty?" Max inquired to May.

"It has to be. It's the only thing."

After a quick clean up of the site, including scattering the ashes to the wind, to throw the stalkers off their trail, if they were still pursuing; after the battle along the trail, it appeared that they had eliminated the threat. Staraptor led the way, wheeling and cawing in order for the group on the ground to follow. It seemed to take forever in their opinion, but the wait was worth it once Ash and Misty came into view. Pikachu broke off from the party and charged for Ash, who caught the rodent pokemon in his arms. "Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, holding his most faithful and loyal pokemon in his arms tightly. "It's nice to see you too buddy."

"Pikapi!"

Blaidd stepped forward to clasp a hand on Ash's shoulder, an uncharacteristic gesture for him. "It's nice to see you again. I'm glad you are fine."

"Nice to see you too Blaidd." Ash was about the mention the unexpected healing, using his Aura, but decided against it, in respect to Misty. A part of him felt that it would have been impolite to blab to the whole world that she had been seriously injured.

May, however, spotted a thin white line running down Misty's calf, something that she hadn't noticed before. "Misty, what happened to your leg?" Ash mentally chided himself. One would think that healing with Aura would erase all traces of the wound, including scars.

_"Apparently not."_

Misty glanced down at the faint scar. "I hurt myself while I was in the river."

"But it looks like it's been healed for years, but I've never noticed it before."

Blaidd gave Ash a look. "Was it Aura?" It wasn't a question."

Ash nodded. "Yeah, it was pretty weird. It just,... happened."

Blaidd pondered it for a moment. "That is very unusual. It takes a very experienced user of Aura to do any healing, for it takes a severe drain on a person's mental and psychical facilities during the healing. During the healing process, the healer is transferring his energy and strength to the other. You said it just happened?"

"It was like the Aura was pouring out from my hands, like liquid flames." He had no other way to describe it.

"You seem to be shaping up to be a very interesting pupil to say the least," Blaidd chuckled. "It is interesting though, many of your abilities are focused in the defensive aspect of Aura, which would explain why your Aura spheres are nowhere near as to what they could be."

"Really, I thought it was because I was still learning."

"That too, but the first theory makes more sense in your case."

"Oh," Ash felt a twinge of disappointment. Blaidd smiled, another rarely seen gesture.

"You should feel proud, not disappointment. To have defensive abilities in Aura is actually very rare, for many Aura users tend to study the more offensive facets. It will be interesting to train you to say the least." Blaidd pointed northward. "Rota is only about a week away. From there, you can make your decision on whether to keep training or not."

XXXXXXXXXX

Gary stirred from a restless sleep, eyes going to the wristwatch he wore. He had the shifts of the guards figured out; they rotated in eight hour shifts, meaning that three changes meant that a day had passed. He counted each guard change, going up to the twelfth one as of now. _"Four days,_" he thought dejectedly. _"Four miserable, stinking days since we've been here." _Dawn stirred next to him, her dark hair running across his skin like a silken curtain. He suppressed a shudder and he knew it wasn't from the damp cold; he had long since gotten used. He shook his head as his fingers massaged the pendent he kept hidden, waiting.

He heard boot slapping on the cobble stones of the prison and he studied the guard as he traversed the barred door. He wore a simple mail suit, with a long dagger strapped to the side. "So, I just got word that Captain Archer landed at the delta." the guard stated.

"That quickly? That must have been an impressive ship he got from Giovanni then," the other guard, the one on duty at the moment, whistled, clearly impressed.

"Yeah, shame we couldn't join him. I heard the Rota filled with riches and nice land."

_"Rota?"_Gary wondered. _"That's where Ash is going."_

"Did you see the size of the army he brought with him though? It's a bit of an overkill if you ask me."

"There's no such thing as overkill with that man. He's thorough and ruthless, to say the least. I do have to admit, it is a bit much, since the people of Rota are just a bunch of farmers."

"Yeah. You taking my shift?"

"That's what I'm here for, isn't it."

"Good. This stupid job is so boring. When do we transfer the three?"

"In a day or two. Captain Archer's sending in a unit of soldier to transport them."

"Well, that would be at a tiny bit of excitement around here." Gary heard a groan. "I'll see you around."

"Okay, see you." Gary watched with half lidded eyes as the other guard left the prison cell.

_"A day or two,"_ Gary thought. _"We're going to have to leave much sooner than I wanted." _His hands pulled out the pendent he kept hidden. _"Time to break free."_


	17. Chapter 17: Freedom on Steel Wings

Chapter Seventeen: Freedom on Steel Wings

**Epic Gary moment courtesy of moi lolz. **

Gary anxiously waited, the silence deafening. He kept the pendent hidden in the palm of his hand, tucked under his long sleeved shirt. He nodded off for a minute, but jerked himself awake. He couldn't fall asleep, not now. Thankfully, the guard decided that he would. There was a sudden snort as the guard started to snore, loudly. He sighed at the sound; it seemed to echo off the stone walls, driving him crazy, but he secretly blessed it, for if the guard was asleep, then he had a better chance of escaping.

He pulled the pendent out, eyes going back and forth shiftily, watching for the guard, but he wasn't going to awake anytime soon. He held the pendent, a small sphere with green and gold swirled around each other like the ying-yang pattern. It had an interesting story behind it, a gift from his father during his travels in the Sevii Islands. He was told it represented the balance between the sky and earth, the gold of the sun and the green of the earth. He remembered the small box it came with and the day he received it, a young boy of eight, watching his parents divorcing. Ironically, the gift was no the key to his survival.

He pressed a small button and the pendent flipped open, revealing a pokeball. Shortly after his Silver Conference run, he had gone home to think. During the process, he came across the stream where he and Ash fought over the Pokeball and an idea struck him like a thunderbolt. The next day, he went to the jeweler's, asking for his father's gift to be modified, to store a pokeball, in case of emergencies (with Ash's horrible habit of attracting Team Rocket, Gary wasn't going to risk being caught off guard).

Gary gently shook Dawn awake. "Psst!" he whispered in her ear. She stirred slowly; ever since they had been captured, she had been sleeping more often, probably as an escape from her reality. Gary couldn't blame her. "We're breaking out of here."

"We are? How? And what about our pokemon?" Gary, with a smug, victorious smile on his face, exposed the pokeball stashed away in his palm.

"We're using this bad boy to get out of this dump." He pressed the white button of the pokeball and it popped open, releasing a nidoqueen, who yawned and stretched.

Dawn's face lit up, the first spark of hope ever since she had arrived there. "You mean 'girl'," she giggled, her first joke in a long time too.

"Guess so." Gary got Nidoqueen's attention, who had milling around, unsure. Gary exposed his foot, the one that was in chains. "Break this chain. Her's too." he gestured to Dawn's chain. Nidoqueen nodded and the spike pokemon tramped over, grabbing Gary's chain in her two paws. With barely any effort, the chain snapped in two, the spare chains clattering to the floor. Gary winced; if the guard heard it, then they were through. He told Nidoqueen to stop and the trio froze, waiting to see if the guard had woken up. A few heartbeats passed and there was no indication that he had waken up. Nidoqueen continued and she broke Dawn's chain. Grateful, Dawn gave the blue pokemon a bear hug, elated. Gary smiled and then pondered their next situation, getting out of the cell and freeing Mrs. Ketchum, who had been watching the scene. He mouthed to her, "We'll get you next." she nodded and hunkered down to wait.

Gary, his mobility back, went to the barred gate that held them prisoners. He peeked down the hallway, to chuckle at the guard, who was slumped over in a drunken stupor, as evident by the bottle of whiskey, tipped over as the pungent odor filled the air. It was obvious that the guard would need a lot to wake him. _"Maybe we stand a chance after all." _He ordered Nidoqueen to him. "Can you break this gate, without waking him over there?" he pointed to the snoring guard. She gave a curt nod and she grasped onto the iron gate, squeezing slightly on the metal. Gary and Dawn watched in amazement as the metal crumpled under her paws like tissue paper. There was an audible groan as she started to lift the gate out of it's moorings. Screws popped from the hinges as the pokemon managed to lift the entire gate away, metal crumpled and bent. She then placed the gate aside. Gary took a cautious step outside. Unfortunately, it was at that moment that the guard decided to stir. He lifted his head up and gave the escaped trio an odd look. He blinked a few times, then glanced over at the tipped whiskey bottle. Gary almost laughed as he flopped over once again, asleep.

"Now for Mrs. Ketchum," Gary said to himself. "Nidoqueen, open that gate too." She oblidged her trainer, but this time, she made an opening, pulling the bars aside. She stepped in, followed by Gary, then Dawn,who watched the guard with a leery eye. Nidoqueen, like she did earlier, snapped Mrs. Ketchum's chains as well. Mrs. Ketchum tried to stand, but her knees gave way and she was forced to lean against Gary.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"No prob," he replied. As he led her out of the cell, the guard stirred once again, and this time, he realized that it wasn't just an alcohol induced hallucination.

"What the?" He shook his head in surprise. He opened his mouth to shout something, but was cut off by Dawn's command.

"Nidoqueen! Slug him!" The spike pokemon looked confused for a moment, since it wasn't her trainer that gave her the command, but she listened and she charged, pumping her fist. She leaped on the table in a single bound and she swung her fist upwards, giving a nasty uppercut to the man's jaw. Bones cracked and gave way under the force and he fell backwards off his chair in a large clatter, unconscious, his jaw clearly broken.

"Crap!" Gary cursed. "They defiantly heard us now!" His assumptions were correct when clamor rose from behind him. He whirled his head around to find that torchlight was starting to light the stairway behind him. "Carp!" he cursed loudly again, mind spinning like crazy, trying to think of something. He shouted to Nidoqueen. "Nidoqueen, behind us! Use Hyper beam, now!"

Nidoqueen thundered behind him, planting her feet firmly into the cobbled floor. The room thrumed with energy as Nidoqueen built up for her attack. A white beam shot out from her mouth, the colors of the prism swirling and twisting around each other, forming a beam of white light. Gary shielded his eyes from the dazzling display and sensed the room's ambient temperature increase as the beam struck home, at the base of the stairs. Debris and people flew everywhere as the attack landed just was the first dozen or so soldiers entered. Gary flinched as he heard the screams and moans of the dead, dying and injured. He knew he would have to pay for it in the end, but this was survival now.

Dawn rummaged through the unconscious guard's belt, looking for the keys to release their Umbreon and Piplup. "Got it!" She shouted. She ran to the cell where Piplup, Mr. Mime, and Umbreon were being held and jammed the key into the keyhole. The door swung open and Piplup jumped into her arms.

"Pipllllup!"

"I'm glad to see you too Piplup. Now we got to get the others. Have you seen them?"

"Lup pippip!" The small penguin pokemon pointed frantically to two belts hanging on the wall, along with their packs.

"Great job Piplup." She snatched the belts and packs off the wall hangings and ran to Gary, who took his belt gratefully.

"Thanks Dawn," he said appreciatively, eliciting a blush from the young coordinator.

"You're welcome." She noticed the pile of debris and carnage behind them and she turned a pale, ghastly shade. But she quickly recomposed herself, to yell at Gary: "Great, our way to freedom is blocked. Now how are we going to get out of here?"

"I'll think of something, don't worry," Gary deflected the question, looking around. He may have blocked their exit, but he kept the enemy from getting down there, giving them some time. Se he saw Nidoqueen recover from the high energy attack, he got an idea. The prison was actually part of a long corridor with their cell right by the stairway. "Nidoqueen, do you have the strength to do one more Hyper Beam at the end of the hall there?"

Nodiqueen indicated that she could, even though she was visibly panting, sweat trickling down her thick armored scales. She planted her feet once again and she did another Hyper beam attack. The beam flew down the hall in a flash and punched through the hall. A sudden breeze whipped through, snuffing out a couple of torches in the process. By a miracle, the attack led directly outside and freedom.

"We have a way out!" Gary yelled jubilantly. His ears pricked up more sounds from the blocked staircase and the sound of stone moving along stone; apparently, they were going to move the stones to get to them. The quartet, Mrs. Ketchum leaning on Gary still, quickly half ran, half jogged to the exit, where they were confronted by a sheer drop into the sea. Stars shone overhead, faint light for the fugitives. Gary let out an exasperated sigh. It just wasn't going to be easy for him. He returned Nidoqueen back into her ball and he stashed the pokeball back to its original home, closing the pendent. He pulled another ball from his belt, wondering for a moment if the pokemon could support their weight.

"Mrs. Ketchum, does Mr. Mime have a pokeball?"

"He does, but it's back at the house."

Dawn held out a ball from her bag. "We can use this one. I'll put Piplup in a ball for now." she glanced down at the pokemon, who shot his trainer an indignant look; after being imprisoned, he did not want to go through it again. "I'm sorry Piplup," she apologized. Mrs. Ketchum returned Mr. Mime to the ball Dawn gave her as Gary returned Umbreon to his ball as well as he flung the other ball up in the air. A skarmory appeared in white, the starlight reflecting off the organic metal feathers. Gary mounted first, followed by Mrs. Ketchum and Dawn. He prayed that the steel winged pokemon could hold the three's weight. Skarmory, as if to reply, flew up a few feet in the air, holding their weight with ease.

"Okay Skarmory!" He commanded. "Fly home!" While Gary didn't know where they were, Skarmory, as with other bird pokemon, knew instinctively where 'home' was. He launched himself into the air, the organic metal wings cleaving through the night air like a hot knife through butter. The fled off into the night, freedom given to them by steel wings.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The eastern sun started to peak over the horizon just as Skarmory landed in the lawn of Professor Oak's lab, exhausted. Gary thanked the pokemon and returned him to his ball. Professor Oak and Tracey ran out into the lawn, worry etched on their faces. "What happened?" Professor Oak began, hugging his grandson. As Gary's feet hit the land, his knees collapsed from under him. Even though he had been imprisoned for a short time, the experience took its toll on him. Dawn helped him up.

"A very long story," Gary replied, shaky. "One that I'll tell you on a much later date. I need to warn Ash about something big, really big. Does he still have any of his flying pokemon here?"

Professor Oak started to shake his head no until Tracey interjected. "Charizard just arrived here a day or two ago, I can't exactly remember, but you can use him. That way your Skarmory can rest."

"Thanks Tracey," Gary started to run to the back of the lab, where most of the pokemon stayed, until Dawn grabbed his wrist.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"I have to go warn Ash about this 'Captain Archer' person and his invasion of Rota."

"I know that! Do you honestly think I'm going to let you do this alone?"

" But Dawn..." he trailed off, protesting meekly.

"Don't you 'but Dawn' me. I can handle myself just fine, as I've done before. I'm not letting you do this alone. What if you get hurt or even worse?" Gary started to protest, but she cut him off again. "We work as a team, remember? Just like in Hoenn and in the prison. So you either leave with me, or you don't go not all, got it?"

Tracey and Professor exchanged looks. "Prison?" Tracey asked, baffled.

Professor Oak only shrugged.

Surprisingly, Gary nodded. "Guess you're right Dawn. Now, let's go see Charizard."

Gary and Dawn found Charizard, sitting in the grass, without a care in the world, chatting with Ash's Bulbasaur. Dawn watched the dragon with wide eyes. "He's _big_," she finally said. Gary nodded; the last time he saw Charizard was a few years ago. Now, Charizard must have been at least ten feet tall. The pokemon noticed them and gave the pair a funny look.

"It's me Charizard, remember?" Gary called to him. Charizard watched Gary for a moment, then his eye lit with recognition. Gary let out a breath that he didn't realize that he was holding. "Charizard, we need your help." he mover closer to Charizard, Dawn following behind him. As they approached, Charizard suddenly craned his neck over Gary's head, examining Dawn. Dawn froze as Charizard gave her a look over, nostrils flaring, taking in her scent. He then blasted hot air in her hair, voicing his approval. He brought his head back to peer down at Gary, the draconian eyes gleaming with a bestial intelligence.

Gary fought off the urge to panic; even though he had studied pokemon and been around many who were many times bigger than Charizard, there was something about Charizards and dragon types in general that made him nervous. Maybe it was the intelligence that seemed to lurk in the depths of their eyes, or just the fact that if he so chose to, he could rip Gary and Dawn to shreds. "Ash is in trouble," Gary finally spoke. That got Charizard's attention. He snorted in alarm, head reared back, the whites of his eyes exposed. He could sense the tone in Gary's voice and was able to recognize his trainer's name.

"Ash needs us. We need to go to a place called Rota and my pokemon are too weak to go any further. Can we ride you? You're much stronger than mine. Ash needs you."

Gary couldn't tell if Charizard understood him but by the look on his reptilian snout, he seemed to get the gist of it. He nodded, rumbling.

"Thank you Charizard," Gary thanked him. Gary faced Dawn. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm ready," Dawn responded. Charizard bent his neck down, to allow the pair to get on, but as Gary had one leg over the beast's neck, his grandfather interrupted him.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Professor Oak demanded. As a look of confusion passed over Gary's face, Professor Oak supplied. "A map to Rota, perhaps?"

Gary flushed red, chagrined, but Dawn saved him. "We have the Pokenav. It'll have a map to Rota in it." She gave Gary a smug look. "You're welcome."

Gary glared at her and finished mounting Charizard. Dawn got on behind him and she wrapped her arms around Gary's waist, her knees firm around the dragon's middle. Charizard did a quick look over, to see if everyone was on. Once everything seemed in order for the dragon, he shot into the air at a record speed, forcing Dawn and Gary to cling on tightly. As Charizard disappeared into the sky, Tracey turned to Professor Oak.

"I wonder what's going on," he mused.

"Many gears are in motion, things we cannot stop," Professor Oak answered. "I have a feeling that something very big is going to happen, and we are only the pawns to speed everything along."


	18. Chapter 18: Sun of the Night

Chapter Eighteen: Sun of The Night

**I wish to apologize for the delay, since I'm sure that you guys are awaiting the next chapter...I hope lol**. **Time and a road block, so to speak, has impeded on my ability to write and since I do not wish to give you sub-par chapters,I have been modifying and rewriting parts of these last few chapters.**

**I mean, we're not even to the climax of the story yet, I'm guessing that will be in a couple of chapters, maybe four or five chapters to finish the first book. Then, off to the second one, "Shaman of Blue Flame". If you are following the story fervently, or even with mild interest, I would highly recommend putting me on Author's Alert, not just for the sake of my ego, but so you can figure out when the second book, and the third (tentatively titled "The Last War"), come out.**

** PS: Despite the supposed non-mingling of the Pokemon world in ours, I did put in a pop culture reference or two, albeit slightly modified, and possibly a third if you really stretch. Cookies to those who can guess both and a one-shot dedicated to them to the first reviewer to get the first two, then the third, right. So get your pop culture repertoires ready, but it is sort of obvious lol. **

The verdant valley of Rota appeared to them as they crested the last hill. The change of landscape was a wonderful thing for them, for they had gotten very tired of staring at brown canyon walls for nearly two weeks. The small town of Rota laid nestled within a forest of pines and broad leaf trees, the various shades of green like a carpet spreading over the land. Cameran Palace stood out from the buildings, a guardian of white washed stone and red roofs. Tall sturdy walls protected the buildings as a long, delicate stone bridge spanned over the waters of the Naiad river. Towers and turrets arched towards the sky, the red shingles reflecting the daylight sky. In the center of the complex was a large building, shaped like a 'L', with the shorter part of the building forming part of the wall as balconies of varying sizes jutted outward. A clock tower loomed over the town, clearly a newer addition, judging by the age of the other buildings around it and the clock. Drew let out a low wolf whistle in amazement.

"Whoa, that place is _huge_! It must be hundreds of years old."

Misty nodded. She amazed by the simple and elegant beauty of the place, harkening back to the days of ancient times and bygone years. It had an aura of peace surrounding it. "It is really beautiful, but I bet it looks different at night." She had the feeling that the castle, if one could call Cameran Palace that, took on more of a ominous feel.

"I can catch your drift." Drew then chuckled. " There Arcanine, there castle."

Blaidd shook his head and as he walked by, gave Drew a mild smack to the back of his head. "You shame me" Blaidd joked.

As May watched this unfold, she suddenly got an idea. "Hey guys, remember the festival here? All the food and the dancing and the tournament!"

"Yeah, how could we forget the tournament," Ash replied.

"And the girls," Brock said dreamily.

"And the ear-tugging commences," Misty said, eliciting a wince form her older friend, who rubbed his ear thoughtfully.

"Yep, and I'm going to win this year too! Keep my post as reigning champ!" Ash proclaimed.

"Please Ash, it's been nearly two years since you won here, so you aren't 'reigning champion'." Misty snorted. "And besides, _you_ aren't going to win this year. I am."

"Wanna bet?"

"You're on Ketchum."

As the troupe went down the hill to the small little town, May sidled up to Drew.

"Okay May, what are you planning?" Drew asked.

"What makes you think I'm planning something?" She retorted innocently.

"Because I'm your boyfriend and I know when you have something up your sleeve. And two, you get this little glint in your eyes when you're plotting. Now spill it."

"If you must ask, I'm playing a little bit of matchmaker." Her eyes went to Ash and Misty, who were still bickering about the tournament.

"Those two? It'll be like trying to convince a brick wall. I have never seen anybody more stubborn than those two."

"There is a dance going on at the tournament. I'll try to do a little 'magic' before then."

"Good luck with that May."

"You're helping." May crossed her arms.

"Wha?"

"You work with Ash and I'll work with Misty. Piece of cake."

"More like fruitcake to me."

"You're something, you know that?"

"That's why you're dating me." Drew smirked. May shook her head and gave Drew a slight shove as she followed the others

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The costume room was packed with people trying on different outfits and costumes, trying to find the best fit. The girls were able to dash in and grab their outfits. May's was a pale shade of rose, with a dark red brocaded corset and over skirt. Misty's was much different however, wearing a long dark green tunic that went to mid-thigh . A lighter soft backed bodice went over that, giving the large airy top some form. A pair of light blue legging went underneath, coupled with a pair of boots. May nodded in approval.

"I like it a lot," May complimented. "It seems to fit you."

"Really?" Misty did a quick self-examination of her outfit. "Thanks. I like it a lot too."

"But will you be changing later for tonight?"

"What's going on later?"

Misty swore that May suddenly gained a mischievous glint in those sky blue eyes. "Oh, there's going to be a _huge_ dance at the palace after the tournament. There's going to be music, food..."

"'Course you would mention food," Misty teased. May harrumphed jokingly and continued:

"It's just so magical and romantic! It's like you stepped into the past, like you're in the middle of a novel."

"You seem pretty excited about it."

"Well, aren't you excited?"

Misty hesitated imperceptibly, wondering how she really felt about it.

"You could dance with that certain someone," the coordinator winked roguishly.

"I highly doubt he dances," Misty retorted, but then clamped a hand over her mouth, blushing at the realization at what she had just said.

"Ha! I _knew _you liked him!" Misty lunged forward, placing a hand over May's mouth.

"Sssshhh! They might hear us!"

May mumbled something, but the gym leader barely understood her, so she pulled her hand away. "It's not like I'm going to tell him, Misty."

Misty started to say something, but stopped herself. "Alright. Let's get going to the tournament, shall we?"

The boys were in another room, having a little less difficult of a time deciding what to wear. Ash had gone with the costume he had gone with the last time he was here, the one that made him look like Sir Aaron, complete with the hat and gloves. "Ash you wore that one last time," Brock pointed out, when Ash stepped out from behind a rack of clothing, flourishing his cape.

"So? I think it's cool," Ash protested.

"Cool, huh?" Drew drawled coolly. "Are you trying to impress someone with it?"

Brock snickered as Ash blushed, darkening his cheeks only slightly. It wasn't much, but his two friends caught it right away. "Am not!" Ash blustered.

"Riiight," Drew went back to finding an outfit, leaving Ash fuming. It didn't take long for the group to find the costumes. Drew had gone with a costume of a black tunic, black pants with a large brimmed hat. A feather stuck out from the hat at a rakish angle as he placed on a black half mask, trimmed with silver, giving him the appearance of a rogue, or a masked avenger. Shiny black boots and a fake rapier completed the ensemble. He jumped out from behind one of the clothing racks. "A-Ha!" He shouted, flourishing his mock rapier. "En-garde!"

Max rolled his eyes. "Drew, you look like an idiot, or a really bad superhero." The comment effectively deflated Drew's ego and the older teen drooped slightly.

"Have a sense of humor kiddo," Drew huffed, crossing his arms.

"How can I, since you're dating my sister," Max drawled. Like the last time he was here, he had gone with his young prince ensemble. Pikachu, thankfully, had escaped the impeding doom of actually wearing a costume by hiding in a small cabinet until the moment passed, like how one would escape into a shelter before the oncoming storm.

"Play nice boys," Blaidd absently called out. He had opted to not wear a costume. As he watched the others bicker and banter at each other, he thought it was ironic, that like the boys who were changing into costumes, he was wearing on as well. _"Yet mine is more permanent,"_ he sighed to himself. _"But maybe one day..."_ he glanced down at his hands, imagining the indigo fur covering them once more, feeling the black callused hand pads again. He placed his hands down at his sides. "Perhaps not." he whispered mournfully.

In an ironic coincidence, or maybe a personal choice, Brock picked an outfit very similar to the one he wore before, with only a change of colors, a palate of blue shades, nearly matching the dark hued blues of Ash's costume. Of course, to Drew he looked like a cleric or monk and he guffawed at the sight. "Oh Brock, you kill me," he gasped between laughs. "Should I get the Holy Hand Grenade out to kill the Killer Buneary?"

Brock smacked him on the back of the head. "Oh shut up."

"That's not very holy of you- OW!"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Torterra is unable to battle!" the referee shouted, waving green and red flags. "The winner is Misty and Gyarados from Cerulean City1" the late afternoon sunlight poured into the open air stadium, tinting the stone structure with a warm glow. Ash sighed then returned the unconscious continent pokemon to its ball.

"You did a good job. Get a good rest in there." Ash strode across the dirt packed stadium to meet his opponent, Misty. The pair advanced into the final round, but after a long and drawn out battle between Misty's Gyarados and Ash's Torterra, Gyarados barely pulled out a victory, using a 'flamethrower' attack on the already weakened Torterra. "Guess I didn't expect the flamethrower attack from Gyarados," he chuckled weakly. He was mildly upset at the loss, but at least it was a good battle, and that was all that mattered in the end.

"Yeah, it was a tough fight." Misty held out a hand, as a friendly gesture. Ash grinned and took it, shaking it. "But remember how I had used

The others were in the stands, watching the battle with bated breath the whole time. Blaidd spoke up. "A very good battle. I almost thought for a minute there that Ash could have pulled a victory," he said, echoing the sentiments of the others. "However, next time, Ash needs to watch the versatility of Gyarados. Since they're descended from the dragon type, they retain the flexibility of their ancestors." He said, stepping across the stands, red cape billowing slightly behind him.

"But wait, Gyaradoses are flying and water types. How could they also be dragon types?" Max asked.

"Well, while they may be flying and water types now, in the past, they were part dragons too. But as they evolved, the dragon type no longer applied to them as much as it used to, and the dragon type evolved into the flying type you see today. Charizards are a lot like this too."

"Oh. Are there other pokemon that this happened to?"

"Yes, plenty of types experienced this. But that is a lesson for another day."

Max sighed. "Alright, but promise me you'll tell me more."

"I promise." Blaidd stood up from the stadium seats, groaning as he stretched his limbs out. His hand brushed up on the sun heated stone and he gave a wan smile. He remembered this stadium from the days of old, while he was with Sir Aaron. Back in the days of petty lords and constant warfare, the stadium had been used as a training facility for soldiers and their pokemon and in the extreme case, determining the fate of the kingdom. His mind's eye pictured the scene below on the earthen stadium grounds, the ghosts of the soldiers going through their motions. He imagined the dust clouds being kicked up as they moved and trained, dancing the dance of war and death. For a moment, he even saw himself and Sir Aaron down their, training the lupine pokemon to use and refine his Aura.

_"Remember Lucario," Sir Aaron often told him. "Your Aura is an extension of yourself. To master your Aura is to truly master yourself. And maybe, you'll pass these words to your students, after I'm long gone and in the ground." the Aura Knight joked cynically._

_ "But Master, how can you say something like that?" Blaidd gasped. "You're in your prime. Why should you be worrying about things like that now?"_

_ "Because one must realize the future and finality of things before one can enjoy life to the fullest. Plus you are a pokemon, I'm a human. Unless something happens to one or both of us, you will outlive me for a long time. You'll have many students, some better than you or I."_

_ "Better?"_

_ "Indeed." Sir Aaron, grabbed a pile of clay plates. "Now let's try that again." Sir Aaron tossed one of the clay pigeons high into the air. "Go!"_

Blaidd exhaled softly. "How right you were, my friend," he murmured under his breath. "How right you were."

"Blaidd?" Max was tugging on Blaidd's jacket. "Are you alright? You're just standing there."

"Hmm? Oh, I'm alright. I was just, thinking."

"Okay. We're waiting on you. We're meeting up with Ash and Misty down there, then we're getting ready for the dance."

"Ah, the dance. Revelry and debauchery all around," he laughed sardonically. "What a night it will be."

"'Debauchery'?" Max inquired, stumbling over the unfamiliar term.

"Ask your sister about it."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Much to Blaidd's surprise and pleasure, there wasn't as much 'debauchery' as he expected. _"Maybe I've been a human for far too long, to be used to such scenes," _he commented to himself as he made his way through the crowds, onto a large balcony. He took a long sip from the crystal glass full of water as he stared out into the night, at the thousand of stars overhead. The milky Way cat a vast swath across the midnight blue sky. The Way was bleeding with stars as they poured forth, as the occasional comet streaked above. He always loved the stars. As a Lucario, he slept under them in the wild. Then alongside Sir Aaron, his teacher often told him tales about the constellations. But now, they held a different meaning, one more profound and world shaking. The thinnest sliver of the moon was beginning to set and Blaidd recalled a verse from memory. He quietly muttered something under his breath as he peering into the velvet blackness of the night.

"_When the last summer moon fades,_

_And when the last star falls._

_The Sun of the Night_

_Must heed the call._

_His blood shall be shed,_

_on the stone of night_

_to end the war_

_giving all his might._

_The Treasure in his hands_

_In the temple of the Sun_

_Hidden in the sands_

_Where no rivers run."_

Blaidd watched as the first few meteors fell eastward, heading towards the horizon. "It, it has begun."

"Blaidd," Lady Ilene called out to him.

Blaidd turned around. "Lady Ilene." He held a soft spot for the woman, not just because of her strong resemblance to her ancestor and his liege lord, Lady Rin. "It is nice to see you again."

Lady Ilene nodded in response and joined him on the balcony. "It would be you to isolate yourself up here." She smiled wanly before she began again. "Something seems off tonight Luca- I mean, Blaidd."

Blaidd held up a hand before she could apologize for her mistake. "Don't apologize. I have made that mistake myself many times. I guess I'll never get fully used to it." He turned his human face upwards. "Yes, something does seem 'off' tonight." He pointed to the moon sliver. "See the moon? And the shower?"

"Yes Blaidd, I do."

"It is the prophecy. The fates are careening towards this point Lady Rin and we are caught in the middle. The boy, the boy you met two years ago. He is the one in the prophecy."

"How can you be so sure?" Lady Ilene stepped closer to him, leaning on the balcony with an easy grace acquired through years of training. Her face was a mixture of confusion and worry.

"He is the sun of the night. It is so obvious. I can't fully explain it, but tonight, he must be taken to the map."

Lady Ilene. "I wish you could explain it." She said softly to him.

"It is mostly gut intuition and the fact that his Aura is identical to Sir Aaron's."

Lady Ilene placed a hand on Blaidd's shoulder, gazing into his eyes. "I trust you on this manner Blaidd, but only because of your experience. If he is the boy you proclaim him to be, then maybe the balance can be restored. The treasure has been lost for many decades, hundreds of years, waiting for its return, setting the balance that had been off set when Lady Eilsa fled the castle."

"I hope so too," Blaidd said quietly, for only her and him to hear. "I hope so."

Lady Ilene gazed into his eyes and turned away, back into the crowd. "Thank you for your wisdom. And I hope that you find the peace that you have been seeking for so long, Lucario." She walked away, the edges of her dress brushing against the age worn stones of the balcony.

Blaidd paused, placing a hand to where she had touched him. She had called him by Lucario, something he hadn't heard in a very long time and he wondered if she truly knew about his inner turmoil just by looking at him. He sighed and as he went back to his drink resting on the balcony edge, he bumped it. The flute wobbled precariously, then toppled down to the balcony floor, shattering into a thousand pieces, water splashing everywhere.

He had never seen a better analogy for his soul.

**Oooh...A mysterious prophecy... don't we just _love _those? Lol**

**And remember, lonely reviews are sad reviews. So don't make them sad and give them friends! Just push that little button down there! And to those who do Story alert, fav and what not, I would love to hear your opinions too! :)**


	19. Chapter 19: Legend of the Tomb

Chapter 19: Legend of the Tomb

** If it better sets the mood, then listen to the song 'Beauty and The Beast'. You'll know which scene I'm talking about lol**

Ash wandered the edges of the great hall of the castle, taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling and crowded dance. He never got a chance to really study it, since he spent most of the time sitting in a chair, completely and utterly bored. _"But then again, I was only sixteen then,"_ he thought to himself. _"Guess I grew up."_

"Then during the battle, Sir Aaron sealed his companion, Lucario into the staff, to protect him..." Ash overheard an older woman, dressed in a simple blue homespun dress, surrounded by a small flock of children, clinging to her every word. Ash meandered over, his curiosity piqued.

"Bwut," a little girl sitting on the woman's knee, no more than three, began. "What happwened to Wucario?"

The woman chuckled and gave the girl an affectionate smile. "He stayed there for a very long time, until a nice young man freed Lucario from the staff. In fact, it happened right here in a festival like this." Ash flushed at the last comment; it seemed that in the years that passed between the last visit, he had become a part of the story.

"Weally?" the toddler asked

"Really."

One of the kids, a lanky boy about ten, yawned in boredom. "But we know about this. What happened next?"

"Shush," the storyteller scolded him. "I'm getting there. After Sir Aaron's death, many of the people wanted to remember him forever and wanted to build a tomb for him. But Lady Rin refused, saying that the time wasn't right. Then one night, during the rule of Lady Eilsa, she had a dream. The sun Pokemon Ho-Oh came to her, to build a tomb to Sir Aaron in the land of the western sun. The next day, she got workers and they traveled westward. None of them ever came home. But before she left, she had a map made, to show others the way. It's a secret map, that only one person in the entire world can read."

The older child shrugged his shoulders in a cocky manner "I bet I can read it."

A chubby kid raised his hand. "Where's the map?"

The storyteller shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. It's hidden here in the castle."

"Can we go look for it?"

"Not now," she replied, squelching the children's hopes of a possible treasure hunt. "But one day, it will be found, along with Sir Aaron's tomb."

There was something about the story that struck a nerve with Ash, and it wasn't his cameo in the story. It was something else, but he wasn't sure what exactly it was. Something instinctual. He remembered how the Lucario from the last time told him that he and Sir Aaron shared the same Aura pattern. _"Maybe that's it," _Ash thought, trying to reassure himself. _"Yeah, that's it. Just that connection."_ He left the story group and went to go search for his tutor and, dare he say it, friend?

He found Blaidd staring off into the sky, watching the meteor shower overhead, streaks of light piercing the darkness of the sky for only a heartbeat, before winking out of existence. Ash suddenly recalled that this was the time of the year for the meteor shower right by the Gyarados* constellation to be at its peak. It was just at the end of summer he realized. He had been on the road for Rota for nearly two months. "Blaidd?" he called out hesitantly.

Blaidd turned around, crystal glass in hand. "Ah, Ash. Shouldn't you be with the others? It _is _a night for celebrating and being with loved ones."

"I'm sure it is. At least this year I'm not sitting in the chair, bored." Blaidd chortled at the face the teen pulled as he said the last part.

"Indeed," Blaidd responded. "What brings you out here?"

Ash shrugged. "I was walking by and I overheard this woman telling a story about Sir Aaron's tomb. I know that this sounds really weird, but as she told it I felt strange, like I was connected to it."

Blaidd nodded. "The legend of Sir Aaron's tomb is a popular one around here. Especially around this time, when the staff of Sir Aaron is brought into play."

"Is the legend real? Is there really a secret map?"

"Who told you that there was a secret map?" Blaidd mentally panicked as Ash said that. The secret map's location was only known by a few others, him, Lady Ilene and two others.

"The storyteller mentioned it."

Blaidd breathed a sigh of relief. Ash didn't know the location. "That is the most intriguing part, especially since there is only one person who can read the map. People have been after the map for years, thinking that the map will lead them to treasure and power beyond belief. The tomb is more symbolic than an actual tomb." Blaidd went back to looking at the sky, utterly engrossed in the meteor shower. He found them fascinating; as a Riolu, he was told that the falling stars were the spirits of those long gone, coming to see their loved ones for only that night before going back to their afterlife. A tiny part of him wondered if he would be able to see Sir Aaron. "It's interesting you know, when Lady Eilsa had the dream, there soon appeared a prophecy, circulating around the castle. Many people wondered what it meant, for it was so obscure, many started to wonder if there really was a meaning after all."

"What is the prophecy?"

Blaidd leaned against the balcony railing, swirling the water in the glass. "It's basically about how the tomb of Sir Aaron will be revealed at the end of summer by someone known as the 'Sun of The Night'." But as Blaidd said that, a shiver ran up his spine, like someone had just run a burst of electricity through him. _"My Mew, Arceus was right; it _is _him." _ he thought with awe.

"Oh," Ash felt a pang of disappointment. Blaidd didn't really answer his questions that he was seeking. _"Maybe I'm not meant to know them," _ he realized to himself.

Blaidd shooed Ash off. "Go on," he said playfully. "You have a party to attend to. You only live once. _Or twice, if you're me."_

"Alight, alright, I'm going," Ash joked. Unfortunately for the raven haired teen, his ear was immediately seized upon by something very tight and very painful, to him at least—as he entered the great hall.

"Ow ow ow!" he shouted in pain. "What the heck is _that_!"

He looked over to the source and much to his surprise, it was May, dragging him by the ear, very much like Max and Misty would do to Brock whenever he saw an attractive woman. "May, do I _look _like Brock!"

"You know, I'm not _always_ like that," Brock said in response. Max rolled his eyes and snorted at the comment.

"Yeah right," Max muttered under his breath; thankfully the great hall was in a state of contained chaos, so no one heard him.

May shook her head at Ash. "If only you were; it would make things a bit easier." She released Ash's ear and she crossed her arms, glaring sternly at him. "It's time for an intervention."

"A what?"

"You know an intervention when a whole bunch of people...," Drew started to explain, but was cut off by Ash waving his free hand, the other clutching the throbbing ear, which was a vibrant pink.

"I know that! But what for?"

"We, we meaning Brock, Drew, Max, and I, know that you like her. A _lot._" she empathized.

"Like who?"

"Are you that dense to your own feelings? Misty, of course!"

Ash blanched, then turned a vibrant shade of scarlet within a moment. "What? Her? Me? We're friends! Nothing more!" He blustered, but May sat there, unfazed starring him with cool blue eyes and an impassive expression etched on her face.

"And you've been friends for what? Eight years?"

"That's about right," Brock added.

"And you don't have any iota of feelings for her? Not even a teensy tiny bit! Sheesh, did you even _hit _puberty?"

Ash frowned. "For your information, yes I did."

"That was rhetorical." May grabbed his head and jerked it towards the throne, where Misty was sitting, a 'reward' for winning the tournament. "You see her? She has had guys line up to her asking her to dance and guess what? She's refused every single one of them? You want to know why? Because she's waiting on a certain someone to go up there and dance with her. And you want to know who the guy is? It's going to be you." May spun Ash around to face her. "You will go up there, and you will ask her to dance. If she says yes, you're going to take her by the hand and out to that floor. And so help me, if you don't, I will make you wish you did."

"You're deadly serious about this aren't you-ow!"

Drew interjected. "Dude, you might want to do this. May can have a bit of a 'streak' if you know what I mea-" he was silenced by a withering stare from his girlfriend. "Never mind. Just do what she says."

Ash turned to Brock. "Come on Brocko, you got to help me out here. Tell May that Misty and I are just friends, nothing more."

Brock shook his head. "Sorry Ash, can't interfere in this one. And it's only one dance."

Ash slumped, defeated. "Alright fine, as long as I don't get any more ears pulled."

May patted him on the head. "Good boy." she watched with steely blue eyes as Ash weaved his way through the crowd. Suddenly, she grabbed Drew by the wrist. "Come on Drew!"

"Wait, what?" Drew yelped

"We're going to do a little 'reconnaissance'."

"That's a big word from you my dear."

"Shut up and dance with me." May took one of Drew's hands as his other snaked across her waist. "By the way, did you even attempt to get through to Ash, or were you just too busy picking out your costume?" she looked at Drew's costume up and down with a disparaging glance; she did have to admit, he did look good in it.

"Like I said, it's like dealing with a brick wall," Drew shrugged. "Do you think that I should use this as a coordinating costume?"

"Vanity, thy name is Drew."

"Touche. And am I still even a part of this plan?"

"At this rate, no."

"Good."

"Just keep dancing Drew," May growled.

Brock groaned as he saw the pair sneak into the crowd, obviously to spy on their friends. "Oh, life is so unfair!"

Max smacked his forehead. "You'll get her someday."

"If only...hey! Are you looking for someone to dance with?" Brock started to follow a pair of waifish females. Max sighed and started to follow after Brock, fingers at the ready.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Ash's heart was hammering as he made his way closer and closer; it felt like a drum ceremony had decided to take place in his ribcage. His dark brown eyes occasionally glanced back, to see if May was still there, but it seemed that she disappeared into the throngs of dancers. He nursed his sore ear. "Great, it's going to be bruised," he grumbled to himself. He took a steadying breath. "Okay Ash, you can do this. It can't be that hard. We're just friends, that's all. It's not going to be that-" his voice trailed off when he finally caught a glance of his best friend. His mouth went dry as the sight. "Then again, maybe not."

Misty was idly sitting there in the chair that Ash himself sat in a few years, her fingers twirling the ancient staff of Sir Aaron. Oddly, Ash thought she looked good with it. _"Wait, no I didn't mean that!_" he paused in mid thought _"Oh holy Ho-Oh, maybe I actually _do _like her!" _suddenly comprehended. This was going to be much harder for him. Her outfit didn't help either. She had changed in the time between the tournament and the beginning of the dance. She wore a long sleeveless dress, the sea blue satin fabric acting like it was flowing onto the floor. Her shoulders were exposed to the air, showing off the fair freckled skin. Her hair was down, and for the first time, Ash noticed that she was wearing makeup, something he had never seen on her before, not even when they were younger. Gold and silver threads danced and twirled around each other as they made the elegant scroll work embroidery on the edges of the dress. Ash gulped as he took a tentative step forward.

She finally took notice of him. "Ash, what are you doing here? I thought you were with the others." she saw the teen's slightly pale and nervous expression. "Ash, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I'm fine," he quickly lied, trying to subtly wipe his hands on the back of his shirt. He took a steadying breath and extended a hand, like May told—well, more like threatened—him to do. "Misty, do you, you know, um, wanttodance?"

"Ash, you garbled that last part. What did you say?"

He forced himself to slow down"Do you want to dance?"

Misty's eyebrows raised in mild surprise. "Did May put you up to this?"

"No!" Ash stammered. "Nope, I swear!"

Misty looked skeptical but gave Ash a lookover. He looked extremely nervous as he asked, awaiting her answer. She looked over to a stout matron sitting by her and she made a gesture towards him. The matron got a sly twinkle in her eyes and she winked, giving Misty permission. "I would like to Ash," she finally and Ash looked as if a great burden was lifted off his shoulders. She extended her hand out, Ash watching with wide eyes, like a stanlter caught in headlights. He took it nervously, like he was holding a piece of glass, rather than the hand of his best friend. The pair moved out onto the dance floor, and that was where Ash froze.

"Ash, do you even know how to dance?" She asked as she watched him freeze.

"Um, kind of," he sighed. "Actually no, not really."

Misty took his other hand. "Well, thankfully, my sisters decided to sign me up for a dance class once, while I was at the gym. Apparently, they thought I would enjoy it without even consulting me."

"Did it go very well?"

"Needless to say, no, it didn't. But at the very least, I got a free dance lesson from it. Here," she moved one of Ash's hands to her waist as she held the other. "Keep your hand here, they're going to be guiding."

"Okay," Ash watched with rapt attention, knowing full well that if something went wrong, he would be to blame later.

"Now," she mirrored Ash's actions and placed her free hand on his waist. "Move." Ash obliged her, even if he was unsure and uneasy about it.

The music from the nearby orchestra played, the faint notes of the melody reaching their ears. Ash strained to listen; maybe he could find a rhythm he could follow, or at the minimum, detract his attention from the fact that he was so close to her.

"Ash, you're stiff as a board. Relax," Misty urged him softly.

"Oh, sorry."

He forced his muscles to loosen up; after all it was only for one dance. It couldn't be that bad right? _"Wrong." _he thought to himself. The music began to pick up in volume and a slight tempo increase. The surge of volume gave Ash a glimmer of hope. _"Alright, I can do this. I saved the world, multiple times even, surely I can dance one simple dance." _With the surge of confidence, he moved Misty out towards the center of the dance floor, feeling much more assured about himself.

Misty felt like she was dancing on air. She never in a million years expected Ash-Ash of all people!-to ask her to dance, let alone be actually be somewhat good at it. _"I have to admit, he looks kind of dashing and noble in the outfit._" As Ash swept her around, her eyes caught the gargantuan portrait of Sir Aaron, and she truly noticed it for the first time. _"He looks exactly like the man in the picture." _She went back to Ash. The resemblance was uncanny, as if the man in the painting was an older version of the teen before her. She shook the thought aside and invested all of her senses into the dance.

Meanwhile, May was watching the pair under close scrutiny. "They look so cute together!" she squeaked in delight, proud that her plan actually worked.

"May, that was my ear," Drew complained. "I think it's shot."

"Oh stop it, it's not 'shot' you ninny, or I'll make it shot.." May glanced back at the pair. "I think they look cute together."

Drew nodded, more focused on his girlfriend than their friends."Uh-huh."

May huffed, realizing that Drew wasn't really paying attention. "Sometimes I wonder why I'm dating you."

"It's because I'm so good looking. And that I'm a great kisser."

"Drew!"

XXXXXXXXXXX

The lights of the town were scattered across the valley, like fireflies in a wheat field. The majority of the residents would be at the Palace, celebrating, leaving very few people to actually shout a warning to the castle.. Captain Archer chuckled with malicious glee, then burst into laughter, tossing his head towards the starry sky, blond hair dancing. It was the night, when the last moon of summer was setting and the meteor shower was at its peak. _"When the last summer moon fades and the last stars fall."_ he thought, studying the scenery. The bridge was broad enough for a six man rank, and as the bridge turned into the weaving walkway, it got even broader, allowing for his lines to condense, providing a stronger line.

"At last, the prize is mine." He wheeled Rapidash around to face his army trailed behind him. He dug his heels into Rapidash's flanks, forcing the flaming horse pokemon to rear up, his fiery mane a living banner for the army. Archer pointed towards the castle. "To the castle." Spurring Rapidash to a gallop, he charged down the hill, the army closely behind him.

***Yes, I did make up that constellation, somewhat. Since obviously we cannot apply our names to the Pokemon world constellations, I just renamed them. The equivalent to the Gyarados constellation is our Draco one, seen in the summer time.**


	20. Chapter 20: Under Seige

Chapter 20: Under Siege

**Only a few more chapters to go! (throws even more confetti...then picks up the litter...) Celebrate!**

Stephan yawned mightily as he slouched against the outer wall of the castle, the heavy chain links of the hauberk he was wearing pinching uncomfortably into his skin. _"I've never should have drunk that much," _he bemoaned to himself. Guard duty, on an evening like this, was simply torture. It was one of the punishments given to miscreants, guard duty for the castle. It was a ceremonial duty, for the castle had no need to worry about becoming under attack, but the duty was still there. He fingered the wooden shaft of the halberd. Everything was cursedly heavy, with the chain hauberk weighing at least fifteen pounds. A heavy linen tunic went over the knee length chain mail shirt, all belted together with a thick leather belt with a bronze buckle. The halberd weighed nearly another ten pounds, with a length of eight feet from the butt of the shaft to the sharp metal head mounted at the top. The halberd head glowed dimly with the waning moon, as he pushed hack his helm, wiping away some sweat with the corner of his cream hued tunic, wondering if the night would ever end.

His eyes caught something in the distance, faint yellow lights that seemed to be coming closer. _"Maybe they're Illumise," _he thought. _"It is summertime." _His hand went to an empty pokeball. "Maybe I'll catch one." But as he studied the lights, he realized that they were coming closer.

And they weren't any pokemon at all.

XXXXXXXXXX

Archer watched with barely contained smugness as the army progressed towards Cameran Palace. He and Stella stepped aside to let the army start to cross the bridge the spanned the Naiad River; the bridge was about thirty feet wide and nearly a quarter mile long, from the land to the Palace. The infantry went first, backed by pokemon like Rhyorn and Rhydon, to provide 'anchors' for certain formations that Archer himself designed. Next went the artillery, mainly of trainers who owned Rhyperiors, who acted as living cannons. They had nearly a dozen rhyperiors, enough to obliterate a castle wall within hours. Rhyperiors were always prized within armies, no matter what the size of the force. Even possessing one would mean an advantage over nearly any foe. With their accuracy and quick reload and firing time, a single rhyperior could turn the tide of battle, as long as the enemy didn't break through the lines to the cannon pokemon; Ryhperiors were known for going berserk whenever they were injured.

Archer waved over a sub-commander, a brawny man named Alexander. "Alexander, I need the layered formation with the rhyperiors, with the pikemen in front. If they do retaliate,—which I highly doubt—they'll more than likely use a cavalry charge, to sweep us off the bridge." Alexander saluted and started to head back to the artillery, until Archer stopped him with a hand. "Get rid of the guards for me. The last thing I want is some greenhorn soldier alarming the rest of them." He chuckled maliciously. "It'll be like shooting Magikarp in a barrel." the sub-commander ran off, bellowing orders to the trainers and their pokemon. The half dozen pokemon arranged themselves into three rows of two. The first row placed themselves onto the cobblestone bridge, the second row knelt, while the third row stood.

The guard, Stephan, watched this unfold with unbelieving eyes. At first, when he saw the army, he thought it as a part of the festival, something new to commemorate the bygone event, but as they prepared for a siege, he found that his assumption was very wrong. He stood upright with a start, and started to yell for the guards perched on the parapet of the outer wall, but he was stopped by a iron ball to his chest. He felt the hauberk crumple under the force of the ten pound projectile and he sank to his knees, coughing blood. He toppled over the bridge, into the water below. The second guard, who was sleeping off a half bottle of port, jerked up and began to shout, this time, actually getting the attention of the guards above before a second iron ball turned his skull into a gelatinous mess.

The guards above heard the cry and peeked their heads over the parapet, their game of poker interrupted by the commotion below. They barely had any time to duck back under before a rain of arrows arced gracefully over the high walls. All but one were either injured or dying. One guard, a gangly teenager, started to run towards a tower, which held a massive horn; constructed of metal and wood, the fifteen foot long instrument served as an alarm system for the Palace, the deep rumbling of the horn warning the presence of enemies. He bolted for the housing, stumbling and tripping over the bodies of his compatriots, his breath heaving as he fought the urge to become violently ill.

Archer snarled as he watched a faint shadow run across the parapet of the wall, racing for a tower that jutted from the structure. If the sentry managed to make it there, his plans would be ruined. He yanked off a pokeball from his belt and he flung upwards. "Staraptor, finish off the sentry!" The vicious bird screeched and flew up high, then dive bombed. The fleeing sentry heard the Staraptor's cry and was just barely able to fling a shield up in time, deflecting the hooked talons of the bird pokemon. The teenager reached for a spear that was lying nearby, propped against the stone parapet, while using the shield to block the pokemon's attack. His hands clenching around the wooden haft of the weapon, he jabbed it at the pokemon, the spear head sinking into the side of the staraptor. Feathers exploded everywhere as the bird tried to fly away from the spear. Blood dribbled onto the walkway, the staraptor cooing in pain. The few moments gave the teenager time to escape, backing way on his back, shield and spear in hand. He was only a few meters away when Staraptor dived at him again. The guard put all of his strength behind the shield, dropping the bloodied spear. He thrust the shield forward and Staraptor's talons got caught in the thin layers of metal,tangling the bird up. The bird hissed angrily, shaking furiously to get the shield off his talons. The sentry ducked into the tower, slamming the door behind him.

He leaned against the door, free from the ferocious pokemon and he inhaled deeply, taking in as much air as he could, preparing himself for the horn. He set his mouth on the wide mouthpiece and blew into it as hard as he could. He felt the sound vibrate in his chest as the low sound bounced off the walls, until the blended into one giant rumble. He blew once more, panting when he pulled away. He went in for a third time, but was silenced as an iron ball from a Rhyperior's rock wrecker attack ripped through the tower, taking the teen and the horn with it.

XXXXXXXXXX

Blaidd's ears picked up as he heard the deep rumble of Cameran Palace's horn. He ran into the great hall, where the denizens inside were panicking. The vast majority had never heard the sound before; many thought it was an earthquake, but Blaidd knew better:

They were under siege.

He forced his way through the crowd and he somehow ended up leaving the great hall for the main lawn, many of the visiting trainers following behind him, as goslings follow their mother, with Ash and his friends at the head of the group. Upon seeing the wreckage, Blaidd rushed towards the scene, his human feet slapping on the grass. It was times like this when he wished he had the agility of a Lucario again.

"What's going on Blaidd?" Ash asked, watching Blaidd as he knelt by the rubble, his hands moving and pulling away the broken stones and debris. The sounds of the Rhyperior's siege echoed and ricocheted off the high walls of the palace, sounding like numerous guns firing at once. Many of the trainers who heard Ash's questions echoed their sentiments. Blaidd let out a gasp as he found the teenager who had blown the horn. The lower half of his torso and legs had been crushed by the debris. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he struggled for his breath. Blaidd took the teen's hand.

"Who did this to you?" Blaidd asked, his voice tender and soft.

The teen struggled to gain a voice, until he finally rasped, "An army." He took on final breath as the wounds took their toll. Blaidd fought to keep his human emotions in check, yet the part of him that he considered his "Lucario" part of him, yearned to break free. Anger, sadness and a desire for vengeance swirled in him like a potion brewing to an unwanted conclusion. Meanwhile, Ash and the others watched the scene. May had turned her head into Drew's shoulder, sobbing imperceptibly, while shielding Max's eyes from the ugly scene. Misty had turned an unpleasant shade of green and Ash swayed slightly on his feet, sickened by the destruction before him. Only Brock appeared to be immune, but there was a pale cast to his normally darkened skin.

Blaidd stood up at last, his hands clenching at his sides. He knew why the army was there at the doorsteps of Cameran Palace. The army outside the gates wanted Ash; they knew, somehow, of the prophecy of Sir Aaron's tomb and they knew that Ash was the center of it all. How, he wasn't sure, but he had to protect the boy at all costs, even his own life. He turned to the awaiting crowd. He scanned their faces, saw the fear buried under the facade of confidence, and he finally spoke:

"These people want inside at all costs. They desire control of Cameran Palace and the riches it brings." He paused for the sudden din. "They are willing to kill all those inside in their quest for total control. We mustn't let that happen. I am willing to stand and fight, and I hope you are too."

One of the man, a large man with a bear like build, spoke up. "Well, what would you like for us to do?"

"Use your pokemon. They are better adapted for war than we humans are." Blaidd looked down at his hands. _"Oh, the irony._ You, you and you." he pointed to those that appeared to be natives of Rota. "There is an armory fifty yards that a way. In the storeroom, there are many weapons, including spears, axes and swords. Get those and the shields. Distribute them and...wait." He exhaled the last part, guilt eating away at him. How could he lead these trainers, these innocent trainers, to a slaughter, against those with years of killing and experience on their side? He wanted to hand his head in defeat. How could he do this to them? And why were they so willing to follow him? A hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality.

It was Ash. "What about us?"

Blaidd inwardly sighed; he couldn't lie to Ash, nor could he let him and his friends fight alongside the other trainers. "Ash, I want you to listen to me, and listen well. This army is after you. They want you and they don't care how many they have to kill in order to get to you." He watched Ash's face fall. "I want you to follow Lady Rin away from here."

"And you?"

"I'm here to protect you. I will give you all the time you need." Looking over Ash's shoulder, he saw lady Rin standing there, holding herself, anxiety apparent on her fair features. He mouthed the her, _"The tower._" she nodded and gestured for Ash and his friends to follow her. Before he left to follow Lady Rin, Ash turned back to Blaidd, who flashed him a thumbs up. "As long as you need."

Ash nodded and he left, albeit reluctantly, Blaidd behind. Blaidd stationed himself at the front of the phalanx of trainers and their pokemon, hands glowing strongly with Aura. A snarl escaped his lips and his heart cried out to the sky _"May the All Maker take my sacrifice not in vain, but in victory. For every time I bleed, let my enemies bleed even more. For every injury these trainers receive, may the enemy die for each one. And may my sacrifice be deemed worthy in your eyes, O Arceus." _Maybe he was suicidal for thinking these thoughts, or willing to die on the edge of a spear or blade, but it was the least he could do for his charge, and maybe, he could finally join Sir Aaron.

And in the edges of his mind, he swore he heard Arceus reply, _"You are not needed in this battle, not quite yet my child. Go, protect your charge. I promise he'll need you more than the trainers do. I am watching over them. _Blaidd blinked, unsure he heard the voice right, but he nodded anyway, more to himself than to anyone else. He turned away, to run after Lady Rin, Ash and the others, but a mighty thud reverberated through the courtyard and splinters flew outward. Some of the trainers shielded themselves from the splinters of wood; the occasional psychic pokemon suspending them in the air, each piece of wood coated in violet flames, trying to protect their triainers. A second thud was heard and the doors started to cave in. A few panicked whimpers were heard and Blaidd winced; he could have convinced them to leave, but they didn't and in a way, he was grateful. Without them, the palace would be overrun and where would they have been?

The doors finally fell off the hinges, wood and stone flying in a shower of dust. The invading army surged forward like a mighty beast roaring to life. Blaidd roared to the starry sky and the defenders charged forward, heedless of their inexperience, but made up for it in enthusiasm and determination. Having numerous battle hardened pokemon on their side didn't hurt much either.

And in a clash of metal upon metal and the screams and cries of the warriors, the battle was joined.


	21. Chapter 21: Clash of Steel and Flame

Revival Chapter 21: Clash of Steel and Flame

The battle raged on and Blaidd was unable to reach Ash and his friends, despite Arceus's commands. He was currently pinned to the wall, fighting off a small hoard of soldiers, armed with axes and spears. There was no need for modern technology here. The large number of pokemon made it logistically impossible and useless to use here. Blaidd deflected one spear head with an Aura sheathed hand and with the other, grabbed the haft of the weapon. Blaidd then jerked the spear from the dumbfounded soldier and flipped around, using the spear against the man. He speared on in the chest with it, blood spurting everywhere.

Instinctively, Blaidd summoned Aura, sheathing the weapon in flickering blue flames that licked the wood without scorching the wooden haft. Blaidd spun the weapon over his head, the Aura flames trailing off of it. With a snarl, he brought the weapon down onto the hoard of soldiers. Blaidd was everywhere at once, the bestial instincts of a Lucario rising to the surface of his persona. He swung the weapon with the expertise of a master. Within moments, he had cleared the hoard of mercenaries around him. They laid in heaps around him, some dead, others in severe pain. Blaidd dropped the weapon, turning off the flames. The army was pressing in through the shattered remnants of the door, forcing the Palace defenders back. It was a stalemate for now, but if the commanding officer managed to open the gap wider, then they would be through.

"Ash," he whispered, realizing the ramifications of what could be. He fought through the surging mass of the defenders. He wasn't retreating, as he was sure many of them thought, but he was defending the prize, the real reason why the invading army was forcing its way through the gates, slaughtering all that stood in their path. Seeing a gap in the clearing, Blaidd ran towards the castle, more specifically, a certain tower.

XXXXXXXXXX

Gary snarled to himself as he struggled to find Rota and Cameran Palace. While the GPS built into the PokeNav was a excellent guide, in the dark it was all but useless; there was no visible landmarks. He steadied Charizard's flight as he scanned the surroundings; however, with only the light of the waning moon and faint starlight, it was difficult, if not nearly impossible, to find what he was looking for. Maybe Charizard would find something, he hoped.

"Anything?" Dawn asked from behind him. Like Gary, she too was looking for signs of civilization, but it was hard for her to keep awake. Exhaustion from the past few days was making their toll on her.

"Nothing." Gary replied, disheartened. "I just wish it was daylight. That would make things so much easier."

"I agree." Dawn went back to her silent vigil, struggling to keep her dark blue eyes open. Only adrenaline kept her awake at this point, and even then, the supply was running low.

It was right then that Charizard detected something. He gave a jubilant roar, feeling accomplished. A dull orange light lit the distance and Gary let out a gasp, one out of fear.

"Rota and Cameran Palace are burning," he finally said.

"Oh no!" Dawn whispered, the last part turning into a sob. "My friends..."

"Mine too. We're too late to warn them."

"Well, we need to do something!" Dawn shouted.

"I know, I know, but we're just one small little rag-tag force, up against an army..." as he said that, though, his hands brushed Charizard's skin, the sandpaper texture coarse under his palms. He could feel the surge of muscles and the heat radiating off the fire dragon and he got an idea. "Charizard, fly towards the glow, but at a higher altitude!" Charizard rumbled in reply and in a burst of energy, he launched himself higher into the sky, until the vague dark shapes that was the landscape below turned into one amorphous shape, with no definition, save for the glow on the nearby horizon. He flew towards the ominous glow, relying only on his strength; charizards, like other large flying types relied on the sun heated thermals for their flight and at night, there was none. He would have to depend on his own strength to get there and with two teenagers riding the dragon, it was much more difficult to do.

Gary leaned close to Charizard. "Come on Charizard, I know you can do this! You're the best, remember? I know you can do this!"

Charizard gave a quizzical grumble at the encouragement, but took it anyway.

"You can do this Charizard I know you can!" Dawn joined in.

With an ear piercing roar, Charizard gave a mighty thrust with his wings, zooming towards his target, encouragement ringing in the dragon's ears, giving him the strength to continue on.

XXXXXXXXXX

Stella kept at a distance, mounted on her Flygon. She had managed to burst into the courtyard with a dozen of her loyal bodyguards; Archer had commanded her to take the boy alive, yet as she scanned the courtyard, she found no sign of him. It was as if he had disappeared. She suspected it was the man from the clearing, the one who could use magic. As the memory resurfaced, something stood out at her and she realized why: the man at the clearing was one known as Blaidd, skilled at Aura and confidante to Lady Rin. The significance didn't escape her and she scanned the courtyard. "_He has to be around here somewhere,"_ she thought. Because without Blaidd, the young man would be vulnerable, very vulnerable. And where Blaidd went, he would lead Stella to the boy and she would finally get her award, unlike Eldrin, whose corpse was probably floating at the bottom of Naiad River.

She noticed something at last. A figure running from the battlefield, towards the main castle of Cameran Palace. The details were fuzzy from such a distance, but she could see a flash of red and raven black. Blaidd had raven black hair and occasionally wore a red shirt. It had to be him.

She spurred Flygon forward and shouted to her personal bodyguards, pointing at the fleeing figure, "Follow that man!" Her guards, burly men that were heavily armored, duly obeyed and plowed through the trainers, their weapons rising and falling like scythes in a wheat field. Stella's Flygon hovered over them as she rushed forward. Her path was blocked though, by an angry pidgeot. She snarled in frustration and started to pull out her sword, a heavy curved weapon designed to do maximum damage to those who stood in her way.

Thankfully, a stray arrow stuck the large bird pokemon in the breast, and the bird went down, the cream hued feathers of its breast flying about in a macabre flurry. The bird feel to the ground, lost to the seething mass of fighters. Stella looked back around, for both her guard and Blaidd, but the distraction had cost her. He was nowhere to be found. She cursed sharply and caught sight of the black armor that was signature of her personal guard. She caught up to them on her flygon and they marched to the Palace, cutting down those who opposed them.

She and her personal guard charged up the small staircase that led to the main hall but as she tried to open the doors, she found they were locked. She growled deep in the back of her throat.

"You," she pointed to one of her personal guard. "Open the door."

He nodded and pulled out a pokeball, summoning a nidoking.

"Nidoking" the guard commanded. "Open the door."

The violet pokemon rumbled with pleasure and rammed into the door, sundering it into a pile of splinters and brass accoutrements. Stella shielded her face from the near explosion. The castle and all that laid within were within her grasp.

"Head in first." She barked and the near dozen bodyguards shambled in, their black armor like carapaces on insects, but the affects of the battle were know taking their effect on the soldiers. Dents and cracks were in their armor and they all drooped slightly with tiredness; they pressed on however, at the urging of their commanding officer, for that was the way of war.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hurry!" Lady Rin urged them as they ran through the hall. The hall, once a bustling place of revelry and celebration, now was silent as a tomb, save for them. She ran about halfway down the main hall then came to a stop, the others tagging behind her.

"Wait!" Brock shouted. "What's going on? Why do they want Ash so badly?" Ash nodded behind Brock. He looked small and fragile, like a child he had once been.

Lady Rin shook her head in sadness, knowing that she couldn't tell them right away. She had sensed that the prophecy was soon coming to pass, ever since Blaidd's return to Cameran Palace those years ago. When he had told her, it sent a shudder through her spine, and looking into Ash's eyes, the very same shudder went down her spine and she saw her role in things to come. "Because of events long ago and the events that could and will be because of tonight. I wish I could explain, but there are somethings even I don't know."

"Then why are you helping us?" Misty demanded her. "If you don't know."

"Because I trust Blaidd, and you should too."

"I do but-" Misty trailed off.

Lady Rin lifted a hand, palm up, silencing her. She then faced a large statue, one of a knight in armor. The Lady placed a hand on the hand of the statue and she pulled down slightly. With a heavy sounding 'clink', a section of the wall moved away slowly, revealing a staircase, winding upwards. Torches, once lit, sat dusty and full of cobwebs in their sconces. "Follow me."

"Now I am getting that whole 'creepy castle' vibe," Drew joked weakly, trying to break the tension and heaviness in the air. Lady Ilene glared at him and he clamped his mouth shut. Grabbing a candle that sat on a nearby table, Lady Ilene lit one of the torches, the wick and pitch inside of the torch flaring to life.

Lady Ilene headed up the staircase, one hand on the railing. Ash followed behind her, with Pikachu perched on his shoulder, then Misty, Brock, Max, May and Drew."This was once an open staircase, an easily accessible part of the castle," Lady Ilene explained. "But after the death of Sir Aaron and the ascension of Lady Eilsa, the staircase was sealed up, with only the statue to open the way. Lady Eilsa had commanded some of the builders to make it so, as long as they didn't go up to the very top of the tower. No one knew why this was, but before she fled the castle, she passed the secret of the top of the tower down to her brother, Lord Joseph, who then passed in onto his children and so on and so forth, until it came to me, and now, to you."

"What's up there?" Max asked.

"You'll find out soon enough." Lady Ilene pulled out a iron key, old and dense in her hand. She came to a slow stop in front of the old oak door she saw a few months before. She placed the key into the lock and twisted. The door unlocked, but the door was jammed. "The door is jammed. The recent summer rains must have caused it."

"Maybe I can open it," Ash offered. Lady Ilene stepped aside to let Ash give it a try. He tried shoving the door but to no avail. He placed his shoulder against it and tried shoving it again, but again, the door didn't budge. The wood of the door had swelled up with the rains and humidity, making it all but impossible to open.

"Pi-Pikachu." Pikachu suggested. Ash looked at Pikachu curiously, wondering what the small yellow mouse said. Pikachu, made a jerking motion on Ash's shoulder, to further accentuate his point.

"Oooh," Ash nodded and took a couple of steps back. He charged toward the door, slamming his weight into it. The door groaned under the weight and with a wet pop, the door swung open and he crashed inside in an undignified heap, Pikachu landing gracefully away. "Thanks Pikachu," he grimaced, rubbing his left hip.

"Pika!" The others entered behind him. Lady Ilene acknowledged Pikachu.

"Thank you for your advice, small one." She felt the wave of nostalgia and history sweep through her and she turned her face to the small window on the far wall of the round room. The starlight shone through in a small shaft, lighting the center of the room. They gasped at the sight.

"What is that?" Max demanded, pointing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Blaidd panted heavily in exhaustion as he slammed the hall's door shut. He bled from many different wounds, all small, but they were tiring him, nonetheless. The blood that trickled down was a near identical color as his eyes, he noted, then went on. He winced as he leg twinged from an injury that he had no idea where it came from, the blood seeping through the pants. He leaned against a table for a minute, catching his breath, which was coming out in ragged gasps. Maybe he had had pierced a lung. He slowly made his way down the building, red eyes scanning for any intruders. As he came upon the secret staircase, he gasped.

Lady Ilene had never closed the entrance back.

He ran over to the statue, striving in vain to seal it back up, but he then realized that it never opened from the inside and he gave in, sagging against the granite statue. His eyes glanced upward, into the staircase. "You're the only hope my boy," he gasped. He heard a resounding boom and he whirled to his left, and he saw the silhouettes spill into the threshold.

_"You know what to do, my child,"_ Arceus whispered in his head and Blaidd nodded. He slowly made his way up to the staircase and stopped after a few steps in. He planted his feet on the staircase and waited, the Aura building up in him, a surging river of power against the dam of self control and exhaustion. He would be the shield and the sword. He was Ash's teacher and guardian and Eldrin and his cronies be cursed if they thought they could break through. But he knew that he was one man against what could be an entire army and it he failed-

-Then he would fail his student.

And the world.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rota and Cameran Palace soon came into view, lit by the dull orange of fire. Charizard's tongue lolled halfway out of the dragon's mouth as he panted; he was exhausted, as were the two trainers atop his back. Gary squinted his eyes to behold the scene below. An army of men and pokemon were advancing along the long span of bridge. Gary couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief, despite the severity of the situation. It wasn't Rota nor the Palace that was burning, it was the vast quantity of torches that went across the bridge.

_"But they will be burning soon, if we don't stop them,"_ Gary thought to himself as he weighed the situation. Ash and his companions were trapped inside the Palace or worse, were dead. The army of this mysterious 'Archer' person were advancing slowly and the castle had been laid under siege. He was only one person, coupled with Charizard. He couldn't make a difference at this point. His head and shoulders slumped in despair and defeat. "We outnumbered hundreds to one," he finally declared out loud, anguish tinging his tone. "It's too late."

Dawn brought him to his senses. "No we aren't," she proclaimed, her voice full of determination. "We may only be just _one_, but it doesn't mean that we're useless. Look, the army is lined up on the bridge, like sitting farfetch'd. Charizard could easily wipe them out."

"How?" Gary asked.

"He _is_ a fire type you know. Charizard," she told the reptile. "Can you take out that army?"

Charizard, who had been hovering in the air, turned his head around to give Dawn a confused rumble.

"Ash is in danger in that castle. Those people down there are trying to hurt him." Dawn wasn't sure if the dragon totally understood her words, but at the mention of Ash's name, he perked up, and glanced down at the massive army below. He snarled, flashing long sharp canines. He shot eastward and upward as fast as he could. When Charizard reached the palace, he started to bank sharply back around, racing towards the army below. Gary felt the rough dragon skin heat up as the chest expanded like a blacksmith's bellows. Flames licked and danced in Charizard's nostrils and the edges around his mouth. The air smelled of sulfur and heat and Gary clung on tightly, with Dawn's hands clenched around the young man's waist. Charizard was headed into a kamikaze dive.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

One of Archer's soldiers slowly plodded on the bridge, tired and weary, the kind of weariness that settled into the bones and the mind, muddling his train of thought. He was once a Rocket operative, until Giovanni's demise and like so many Rocket members, he had gone to the winning side, this mysterious Archer's side. Now he was wearing a chain link shirt and carrying a long spear and shield. _ "I feel like some extra on a movie set,"_ he mused to himself, bitter and angry. What could have been an opportunity for riches and power was now gone and like before, he was at the bottom of the command, just a mere foot soldier caught in the webs of war.

Screams burst out in the ranks front of him and he froze as the forward ranks started to flee in the opposite direction. Some had stopped to point, babbling incoherently in fear. Curious, the soldier peeked upwards and saw what they had been panicking about.

If he been believed in a higher power, he would have been praying to them, but he didn't and he watched with rapidly widening eyes as it careened towards him. He didn't feel the pain as the fires consumed his flesh, melting the chain link shirt to his skin, flesh and metal becoming one.

Death had come tonight, bearing dragon wings and spewing fire like the sun.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

If Gary could have screamed, he would have, but his voice was whipped away by the wind as Charizard plunged downward. A primal scream ripped from the dragon's throat as he belched forth white hot flames. It was like Charizard had consumed the sun itself, for the flames were that hot and bright. His tail flame streaked behind him as the end of the comets in the sky above. He had swooped low enough to unleash his flamethrower, if it could be called a mere flamethrower attack. Dawn had been right in her assumptions; the bridge was narrow and long, allowing for Charizard to wipe out a large proportion of the army in one fell swoop. Gary smelt the acrid scent of burning flesh and hair and molten slag of metal. Even the stones were a dull red and cracked. The air shimmered with the heat as Charizard zoomed over them. He fought the urge to vomit.

Soldiers and pokemon screamed as the fires consumed their flesh. Many flung themselves off the bridge in order to escape the judgment day that had fallen upon them, but the leap off the bridge was a death sentence in itself and in the end, it was their pick of poison, fire or water. Very few had time to react, pulling out bows and loosing a few arrows before they were destroyed. Charizard bellowed in agony as one of the arrows sank into his skin, near the wing joint. Two more arrows pierced him, one in the shoulder and the other in his tail; coppery blood trickled away from him in steaming streams. Charizard's flame burned even hotter after that and Dawn half wondered if the heat radiating off the dragon would burn away the arrows.

Gary saw the impeding danger in the arrows. Charizard was near unstoppable in his fury, but if he continued to get hit, then the trio would plunge into the waters below. "Pull away!" he screamed, slapping Charizard's neck. "Pull away!" Charizard pulled away slowly, diving downwards close to the water

"Have him go for a second run!" Dawn suggested.

"If he does, then we could get killed!"

"It's a risk we'll have to take! It's their only chance!"

Gary paused, pursing his lips. "Fine," he reluctantly agreed. "Charizard, go in for a second run." Charizard roared and climbed sharply into the sky, flying high over the bridge, until he was just a small speck in the otherwise pitch black sky. Charizard went in for another dive, roaring and screaming all the way.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Stella stormed into the castle, her guard flanking her, watching for hidden traps and soldiers lurking in the shadows. Stella had since summoned flygon back to his ball as she had her tulwar drawn, the heavy curved blade dripping with the blood of her enemies, the red liquid staining the marble floor. "Where are you you miserable mutt?" She whispered, her cold brown eyes scanning left and right.

"Milady." One of her guard was kneeling next to droplets of blood on the floors. "He must have been wounded in the skirmish and is bleeding still. He left us a blood trail." A gauntleted hand pointed down the hall, the dribbles of blood leading to an opening in the left side of the hall, partly obscured by a large statue of a knight.

"Good." Stella smiled maliciously. "And by using him, he'll lead us to the boy. You," she gestured to her guards. "Head on ahead, in case of any traps." I'll be behind." Some of the guard exchanged questioning looks, but they had to obey Stella or else. The last guard who had questioned her orders ended up with his head rolling on the ground. They went down the hallway silently, despite their heavy armor and weaponry. They finally made it to the entrance, where they were blocked.

"Hello Stella," Blaidd greeted tonelessly, his arms crossed, red eyes cold and hard. The fires of Aura surrounded him in a shield. "It has been a while."

"Move," Stella snarled, her tulwar ready to slice him down. "Or I'll do it myself."

"No. I will not let you pass." Blaidd took one step back on the curved stairway, one foot in front and the other behind. He clenched his hands.

Stella snapped. "Kill him!" She roared, spittle flying from her mouth, her long curly hair waving around her. Her guard knelt and pulled out composite longbows and barbed arrows. Pulling back on the bowstring, they released the tension and nearly a dozen arrows raced towards Blaidd.


	22. Chapter 22: Bleeding Hearts and Souls

Chapter 22: Bleeding Hearts and Souls

The dozen arrows streaked at Blaidd. He held up a hand and a shimmering barrier appeared. Many of the arrows bounced off in many directions, but one managed to streak through before the barrier went up and it pierced Blaidd's shoulder. He cried out in pain as the barbed head sank into his flesh. Gritting his teeth, he yanked out the arrow, blood spraying in an arc, splattering on the walls. He tossed the arrow contemptuously on the stairs. "You'll have to do better than that," Blaidd taunted, struggling to hide his pain. "My turn," he rasped The air began to drop in temperature as Blaidd placed his hands about a foot away from each other in front of him. The Aura barrier was sucked back in the void in between them, becoming a orb of pure Aura energy, almost completely white, crackling and sizzling. The air started to swirl and smelled of ozone, the orb getting bigger and bigger.

"His using his Aura!" Stella warned. The guard placed their shields in front of them, forming a human wall of flesh and metal. Stella backed away, knowing deep down that no shield could stand up to a force of that magnitude.

"Watch the power of Aura!" Blaidd screeched as he thrust his hands forward. The ball of Aura became a huge beam, as wide as the hallway, stronger than any hyper beam, than anything Stella had seen during her service. The guards didn't stand a chance as they were overwhelmed by the sheer power of the Aura. Their flesh burned and the metal armor heated up to extreme temperatures and began to melt along the edges. They were cooked from the inside out. Stella flung herself away from the blast, protecting her face from the intensity. Night had become day. Torches went out in the wake of the beam. Blaidd's cape and clothing whipped around him as the light of the Aura cast his human face in extreme shadows, but if one were to look closer, one could see the vestiges of the Lucario within. He had lost himself to the storm.

For the first time in a very long time, Stella was frightened. She hadn't been frightened when Archer killed the old Master, nor when he killed Eldrin in cold blood, but this, this was different. This was power, unrestrained and raw, Aura at its most powerful. And yet, this was what she had been waiting for. To witness strength on such a grand scale. Now she knew why Archer wanted it so badly. The beam faded eventually, leaving behind the scent of burning flesh and lightning, leaving the corpses of the guard lying on the floor, their faces contorted in varying degrees of anguish. It was like the aftermath of a storm, destruction and death everywhere. The occasional flash of Aura popped in the wake of the beam. Blaidd leaned against the stairway, panting, his blood flowing a bit more freely; the attack weakened. Stella seized the opportunity and she stormed the stairs, swinging her tulwar.

"Die!" She screamed, lunging at him on the stairs. Blaidd was caught by surprise and barely had enough time to pull out the heavy knife he carried. He parried the heavy blade, forcing it to go wide. With his free hand, he grasped Stella's wrist and slammed it into the wall, but in the process, he dropped his dagger. He scrambled away, and snatched a scimitar off a display on the wall. He held it across his chest as Stella's tulwar hammered into it. The metal of the scimitar, worn by age and rust, shattered into jagged pieces. A few bounced off of Stella's armor; one sliced Blaidd's cheekbone. The tulwar continued on its path downwards and Blaidd had little time to escape the weapon before it slashed through clothing and skin, across his chest. He fell back on the stairs, bleeding heavily from such a wound. He wore no armor and thus, the wound was far more painful that it could had been, He felt broken and cracked ribs. Desperate, he kicked out with his good leg, the boot colliding with Stella's kneecap. The strength of the kick, fueled by adrenaline, smashed her kneecap. She fell back a step, favoring her left leg.

"Why won't you die!" She screamed. She charged again, snatching up Blaidd's dagger off the stairs. Jerking the knife high, she plunged it into Blaidd's chest. He gasped as the dagger sank in between his ribs.

Red filled Blaidd's vision and he kicked again at Stella, who dodged it. She swung down her tulwar but this time, Blaidd caught it with his bare hands, the metal biting against his already battered hands. He stood back up slowly, chest heaving, the dagger sticking from his torso, blood trickling down, staining his shirt. "Not this time," he hissed. "I won't let you have me again." He shoved Stella away as he yanked the tulwar out of her hands, much to her shock. He threw it away behind him. He took one limping step forward, then another, blood weeping from numerous wounds. Hie jet black hair was crusted with blood as his red eyes were cold and merciless. A warrior he was, one that would never die. Stella paled and back away, weaponless and defenseless. She tumbled back on the stairs, quivering. When she regained her stepping, she fled, limping all the way. She pulled out flygon's pokeball and called out to the green dragon. Blaidd had just enough time to see her leap onto the dragon and fly out the door, where she left his vision.

"Ash..." he whispered, before his eyes closed and he tumbled down the stairs, unconscious.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Max pointed towards the center of the chamber, where a stone dais rested, the black marble shot with white veins a looming presence in the room, despite its seemingly small size, going to Ash's waist. The glass sphere mounted in the center glowed with a faint ambient light, beckoning to the denizens. Lady Ilene closed her eyes. "It is the map that will lead to Sir Aaron's tomb." Her face turned slightly upward, wondering why it had to come again, the secret that had stayed hidden in her familial line for nearly hundreds of years, was now in open view for a bunch of kids to see.

As they gawked at the dais, the starlight that poured into the room began to congeal, swirling and twisting about itself, solidifying to form a shape vaguely humanoid, nearly seven feet tall. The light in the room rushed towards the center of the congealing starlight where it was absorbed. The humanoid shape gained definition and became more solid. Ash watched in amazement as the being was clothed in resplendent robes and its skin turned the color of sun warmed bronze. Its hair was the hue of molten gold as it tumbled in loose curls past his shoulders, but its eyes were the most arresting feature. They were a blinding blue, like the heart of fire and Ash swore he saw white flames flicker in the irises; there was little distinction between scelera and iris, for both were the blinding blue-white. The robe it wore spread across the floor, with voluminous sleeves; it scintillated with all the colors of the spectrum, even some he couldn't identify. There was no way to tell what gender the being was, for its body shape had no distinguishing features. Its face was noble, with high cheekbones and strong brows, a visage like the kings of old.

The being waved a hand and the others fell to the ground, unconscious, save for Ash and Pikachu. Lady Ilene's torch fell from her still hand. Ash spun around to find them collapsed, then spun back around to face the being of starlight. "What did you do?" he demanded. "What did you do to them!" Pikachu leapt in front of Ash, his hackles raised as sparks trailed form his cheek sacs.

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked in its most intimidating voice

The being crossed his arms. "They are only sleeping for now. They will wake up when the ordeal is over." Its voice sounded masculine, yet there was a feminine undertone to it.

"What ordeal? Who are you?"

The being spread its arms and the robe, the colors once dancing lazily, flared to life, and the stranger was sheathed in an intense bright light. Ash shielded his face from the light and the light faded away quickly, back to the shimmering colors. "Do you not recognize me? I am the being whom you saw on the first day of your journey. I am the Lord of the Rainbow and the Desert Sun, the Master of the Brass Tower and Creator of Suicune, Entei, and Raikou. I," he paused for grand effect. "Am Ho-Oh."

Ash's eyes got wide with shock and amazement. He took a few steps back, Pikachu still shielding him. _"I saw Ho-Oh on my first day?"_ he wondered. _"The bird in the rainbow, the golden bird."_ Ever since that day, he had wondered what the mysterious bird was. Younger, he had chalked it up to a Fearow, or maybe a Pidgeot, that had hit the sunlight a certain way as it flew by the rainbow. Now he had his answer and he contemplated whether his original theory was better and safer. Legendaries appearing in his life always meant disaster or an imbalance in the world. "That, that was you," he stuttered. Pikachu backed down, the residual electricity dying away.

Ho-Oh nodded. "That was me my child. I had been watching you for a very long time now. You seem to have a habit of attracting Legendaries; even Arceus at one point acknowledged your existence."

"Tell me about it," Ash grumbled. "What exactly are you doing here anyway?"

"I was sent here by Arceus to set things into motion, to set the balance of the world back on an even keel." Ho-Oh's eyes peered outside to the sky. "The world has been off balance since Lady Eilsa ran off and with her disappearance, Aura. Aura, once plentiful in the world, became scarce, to the point where only a few family lines still carried the ability and even then, their power was weak and untrained. Now, there is a chance for the world to be right, for Aura to return to the world." Ho-Oh gestured for Ash to come closer, to the stone dais. "Tell me, what do those runes say? The ones on the stone."

Ash came closer and he squinted at the runes. "How am I supposed to read the-what the?" The runes that circled the glass orb shifted and moved, changing shape and size, until they could become readable. "How did that happen?"

"You are the only one who can read those runes. Do you know why?"

Ash shook his head. "No, I don't."

"Did Blaidd not tell you of the prophecy?"

"What prophecy?"

"Very well, you will have to ask him about it later, but you see, you are the 'sun of the night', the Aura air to Sir Aaron, a knight. The son of the knight. Does that make sense?" Ash nodded. "Your blood is the key to revealing the location of Sir Aaron's tomb."

"Wait a second, if you need Sir Aaron's tomb so badly, why can't you go to it?"

Ho-Oh's looked away, his features contorted with shame. "Because, Legendaries, while we can shape certain affairs, we cannot directly interfere in human matters, unless they involve us directly. The last time we intervened, we changed the balance of power within the Legendaries. It is something I do not wish to experience again." Ho-Oh came closer and from a voluminous sleeve, he produced a wavy bladed knife, the hilt made of gold and rubies. The blade was of iron and thick, about six inches long and two inches wide at the base. "Please," he implored handing Ash the knife. "We need your help. The Legendaries, your friends, even those you consider your enemies, need this. Without you, the balance is lost."

Ash hesitated for a moment as his hand pushed away the knife. "What are you asking me to do?"

"Read the runes and they will tell you."

Ash peered at the runes once again studying them, his brows knitted in concentration. His brown eyes glanced upwards at Ho-Oh, who was patiently waiting, his hands tucked in his sleeves. Ho-Oh nodded and Ash went back to reading them. "It, the runes I mean, want me to bleed, on the sphere of light. I guess this glass thing is the 'sphere' of light." He noticed the knife in Ho-Oh's hand, as if he saw it for the first time. "Is that you want me to use the knife?"

"Yes. Will you take it?"

"How much do I have to 'bleed'?"

"Just slice your hand and place it on the sphere." Ho-Oh thrust the knife at Ash. "Here." Ash eyed the knife skeptically, then slowly took it, exposing the underside of his left hand. "You know," Ho-Oh spoke, breaking the tension. "One of my high priests used to wield that very same knife."

Ash held the knife in one hand, the tip pointed at the underside of his hand. "What happened to him?"

"I became displeased with the fact that he decided to use the knife to sacrifice people. In my name of course," he chuckled sardonically. "The fanaticism of humans." Ash froze as the Legendary said that. "Do not worry Ash, the blade had been cleaned of any crimes it has committed in the past. You are using a clean blade, both metaphorically and psychically, so to speak."

Ash felt the cold edges of the knife hilt bite into his skin as he clenched the blade. Was he the 'Son of the night' as Ho-Oh claimed? Was his blood really the key to it? Was this even Ho-Oh, or just figment of his imagination, brought on by trauma and stress? The knife felt real in his hand and his friends were unconscious behind him. He shook his head, trying to make sense of the reality before him. He dealt with stranger things before. He tilted the knife so the the razor edge dug slightly into the meaty part of his thumb. He closed his eyes as he slowly sliced the knife across. Blood appeared on the tan flesh as it began to drip onto the floor. Pain like fire swept through his veins, burning from the inside out. His teeth ground together as he pulled the knife away. The warm red liquid dribbled from the heavy blade onto the floor, staining the stone floor. The pain was excruciating, even though it was just a simple cut. He had suffered worse before this, he thought to himself. He placed his hand down onto the glass sphere, coloring the pale blueglass crimson. Ash paused, anxious. A few heartbeats later, the sphere flashed to life, lighting the room in a blue white. The ambient colors that once swirled lazily surged into life, churning and rolling about each other in a kaleidoscope.

Images came to life in his mind's eye. The pain in his hand, throbbed faster and surged up his arm, then his whole body. It was like his skin was boiling alive, then freezing. He sank to his knees, hand still on the sphere, gripping painfully. He no longer had any sensation in his hand as his vision began to darken at the edges, but he couldn't let go, he shouldn't let go, as his mind screamed.

Images flew by in his head, a movie in fast forward. He saw sweeping expanses of desert and scrub land, the dunes shaped by the wind, a sea of sand. A lone tower stood in the distance, the color of rust as pieces of sheet metal fell away. Small oases dotted the land, specks of blue and green, surrounded by men in white. A stone temple was carved into a cliff face, a dark grey compared to the sand. His mind's eye was compelled to look inside, but was repelled, causing more agony for the teen. He gasped as the images whizzed by. It was like something was boring into his head, planting ideas and pictures into his subconscious and he was helpless to stop it. Ho-Oh stood nearby, watching with indifference, the multicolored robe glimmered leisurely.

An eternity seemed to pass by before the pain went away, replaced by a groaning in his knees as he stood up, leaning on the dais for support. He yanked his hand off the sphere, taking note of the dried blood that was crusting on the glass orb and his hand. He flexed it experimentally, wincing. The knife clattered to the floor. Ho-Oh summoned the knife back to his hand. "What did you see?" Ho-Oh inquired.

"I-I saw a desert, lots of sand. And this temple built into the rock, and there was this tower, I think it was old, but, but I can't remember anything else," Ash admitted.

Ho-Oh nodded. "Ah, the land of the Western Sands, Orre. Do not worry Ash, the rest will come to you in time."

"Now what? Do I just wait?"

"We do not have time to wait!" Ho-Oh snapped. "There is no time. The powers at play are beginning to converge and we are helpless to right the wrongs without you! We cannot wait!"

Ash shrank back. "I'm sorry."

Ho-Oh paused. "We have no time to be 'sorry'." He turned away from Ash and he started to fade, turning back to the starlight he has constructed of. "The war is only just beginning my boy." Ho-Oh faded away, leaving the confused teen with the visions in his head.

"Pika..." Pikachu cooed and Ash picked him up. "I wish I knew too. Guess Legendaries aren't too keen on being honest for once, huh?"

"Chu," Pikachu echoed his sentiments.

"Oh, my head," Misty groaned as she struggled to sit upright. The others were beginning to wake up."It felt like I was just hammered by my own mallet." She spied Ash's hand with the crusted blood. "What happened to your hand?"

Ash looked down at his hand. The dried blood was there, but not the cut. A scab had already formed and was quickly healing. "It's hard to explain," he professed.

"I feel like I got a hangover," Drew moaned.

"And you would know about that how?" Max queried.

"Um well, it's from, uh, what I heard," Drew faltered. "I swear."

"What a night this was," Brock said, helping Lady Ilene up. "Did we get anything from tat podium?" He asked Ash.

"Some, just stuff about a desert and a building carved into some rocks."

May scratched her head. "Wait a sec, what about the thing in the room? The one that appeared like a few minutes ago?"

Ash blanched. "What thing?" he lied, trying to hide Ho-Oh's presence.

"The thing that you know," she trailed off. "Never mind. We should go check on Blaidd and the others. I think it's almost sunrise."

"Agreed. Tonight was quite a night." Brock said. They left the room, with Lady Ilene shutting the door behind them. Ash took one final look at the dais, then back at his hand, closing and opening his fist. The pain had all but subsided, only a lingering trace of the events that transpired. The images still loomed in his mind and he determined that sleep would be the best cure for them. As he made his way down the stairway, he spied a figure lying in a pool of blood and he recognized it instantly.

"Blaidd!"

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Archer growled in frustration as the bridge burst into flames, obliterating nearly his entire army. Those that had not gotten onto the bridge yet scrambled away, dropping weapons and fleeing in terror. Archer's features contorted in rage. Someone was going to pay for this, very dearly. Logic overcame his fury and he spurred the flanks of his rapidash. There was no use in losing an army in one battle. Besides, if anything, he could use the boy to lead him to the ultimate prize. "Fall back! Fall back!" He bellowed, spinning his rapidash back around from whence he and the army came. The subcommanders began relaying the same orders and eventually, the army that was left followed behind Archer, just as the night began to lighten. Those that were isolated because of the burning bridge were quickly destroyed by the defenders of the castle. The defenders didn't give quarter to the invaders and by morning, the battle was won and Cameran Palace was saved.

But that didn't mean that the war was won.

**No, don't worry, it's not the last chapter, just the second to last. That probably didn't help. *Hears imaginary sobs from viewers*...Poor Blaidd...**

**And yes, I _had_ to put the SSB line in there. It sounds so awesome in the game!**


	23. Chapter 23: Redemption and Revival

Chapter 23: Redemption and Revival

**Normally, I wouldn't be publishing this right after I posted the previous chapter, but in light of the story ending, I thought I would give a little 'treat', so to say, and because I know you guys just _have_ to know what happened to Blaidd. So, here it is, the final chapter of _The Aura Rising Trilogy Book I: Revival_.**

Ash ran to the fallen Blaidd, turning him over. Blood poured from a gaping wound in his chest and a dagger protruded from his side. His pallor was pasty and his breathing was faint. Ash felt no heartbeat. "No no no no," He muttered over and over again. "This can't be, it can't be." He carried Blaidd down the stairs and placed him on the tiled floor, kneeling beside him. "Come on Blaidd, wake up," Ash pleaded. "Please, please, wake up. Wake up!" He shrieked, tears forming in his brown eyes. "Wake up Blaidd!" There was no reply from Blaidd.

"Pika." Pikachu nudged Blaidd's arm gently. "Pikachu?"

Ash started to weep, mourning for his friend. The others knelt by him, Misty placing a hand on Ash's shoulder. They all wept that night.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Blaidd found himself back at the Hall of Origins. Soon he could go home and he could see Sir Aaron once more. He smiled at the thought. His bootsteps padded softly down the hall towards an entryway, where he found himself blocked by Giratina, lord of the Distortion world and the protector of the afterlife.

_"I cannot let you pass,"_ Giratina's voice thundered in his head.

"What?" Blaidd cried, stunned. "You have to let me pass! I'm dead for crying out loud!" He snapped. "I'm dead."

_"I have orders,"_ Giratina rumbled_. "I'm sorry."_

"He is right you know," Arceus said, coming up behind Blaidd. He was dressed in his human guise, the white robes unsullied and brilliant. His eyes looked apologetic. "He cannot let you pass. Your task is not finished yet."

"How can that be? I did everything you asked!" Blaidd protested.

Arceus shook his head. "He still needs you. He is not ready to be alone just yet. You must guide his steps. The war has only just begun and without you, darkness will fall, whether he is 'strong enough' or not. I am so very sorry."

"No you're not!" Blaidd screamed. "How can you say that! This is unnatural I tell you! It's cruel and inhumane, you monster!" Blaidd sank to his knees. "I just want to go home," he wept, tears leaking from his red eyes, head bowed.

"Lucario," Blaidd looked up slowly to find a familiar face fill his vision. "Blaidd."

"Sir Aaron?" Blaidd whispered. "Master?" Sir Aaron nodded. He was dressed in his regular regalia, only it was white, with gold and blue trimming.

"Yes Blaidd, it is me." Sir Aaron tipped Blaidd's chin up. "You know, you look a lot like me as a human."

"I do?"

"Almost like a brother, like you always were to me." Sir Aaron crouched down to Blaidd's level. "Remember what I told you? How you would end up teaching another?"

"Yes."

"This is it. This is your time. You can't turn your back on a student now. He needs you. I know you want to come home and I want you to too, but sometimes, we need to push our own selfish desires aside for what is really important and right now, Ash and the world are the most important. Do you understand, Lucario?"

"I, I just want to come home," Blaidd said in a ragged whisper. "But I understand."

Sir Aaron enveloped Blaidd in a hug. "I miss you, old friend," Sir Aaron whispered.

"I miss you too, Master."

"Don't call me 'Master'. We're equals now, remember?" Sir Aaron pulled away, smiling.

"Yes, Sir Aaron."

"Just Aaron will do." Sir Aaron flashed one more smile and faded away. Blaidd scrambled upright, looking about frantically for him.

"Aaron? Aaron!"

Arceus placed a hand on Blaidd's shoulder, calming him. "Do not worry, he will be waiting for you, just as he always has." Arcaus produced something in one hand a small golden sphere. "And now, a gift. While I cannot let you go on just yet, I can at the very least let you be you again." He pressed the sphere into Blaidd's chest. Blaidd staggered away from Arceus, clutching his chest and fell to the cobblestones, unconscious.

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Lady Ilene watched from a distance as Ash and his friends mourned the death of Blaidd. The warrior had given so much to protect the young man. She hoped that he finally found the peace he had been seeking. She closed her eyes, struggling to contain the tears that threatened to fall. _"I hope you find peace,"_ she thought. She was the only one who had known his true identity, the costume of flesh and clothes that he had been wearing for so long.

_ A stranger staggered into the Palace that night, a cold winter's night with the heavy scent of snow, even though there were no clouds. His clothes were ragged and torn, the once lustrous black hair now lank and dirty. He looked exhausted and frightened, as he occasionally glanced over his shoulder when he went inside. He didn't relax until the heavy doors of Cameran Palace shut behind him. The servants assisted him inside, into a small guest room, where he was given a change of clothes and some hot soup. He seemed unsure on his feet and was wary and paranoid. One of the servants had discovered scars criss-crossing his bare back, some fresh, some old and scarred over, when she had helped him into a bath. Lady Ilene visited him that night. _

_ "May I come in?" she asked, knocking on the door frame. The stranger, who had been eagerly devouring some bread, perked up and Lady Ilene was taken aback by his haggard and weary appearance. Dark circles rimmed his eyes and his cheeks looked hollow. His red eyes were feverish and bright, like fires into the soul. Recognition stirred in Lady Ilene, yet she couldn't place where she had seen them before. However, as she didn't recognize him, he recognized her. A light dawned in his eyes and he sat upright and bowed at the waist. _

_ "Lady-Lady Ilene," he stuttered, unused to speaking in so long. He had only screamed in agony all this time. _

_ "Do I know you?"_

_ He nodded vigorously. "It is me. Lucario, Sir Aaron's Lucario. Remember?" Lady Ilene shook her head, but she began to see the resemblance and the intonation in his voice. She dismissed it though._

_ "But, you are a human," she said. "And besides, Lucario died at the Tree of Beginning."_

_ "I know I did and I really did die, but Arceus, he brought me back," he spoke haltingly. "How can I make you believe me?"_

_ "What makes you think I don't?"_

_ "Because I know exactly what happened at the Tree of Beginning, down to the minute details." Lucario spoke at length about the incident at the Tree, how he had protected a young boy named Ash at the Tree, how he went to help rescue Pikachu and to find out what happened to Sir Aaron. When he had finished, Lady Ilene starred at him with wide, unbelieving eyes. "Now do you believe me?" he asked._

_ "But if you are the Lucario, then why are you here? And what happened to you? You look like a prisoner of war."_

_ "I am here because I have no where to go," Lucario breathed. "I am hunted by those I do not know. They captured me and tortured me and I eventually escaped. I came here for safety because I know you'll give it, and I thank you."_

_ "You-you are welcome Lucario," Lady Ilene replied._

_ Lucario raised a hand, a very human hand. "Do not call me that, please. I am no longer a Lucario, I am human, just like you now."_

_ "Then what should I call you?"_

_ "Blaidd. That was the name my clan members gave me when I was born. It means 'warrior' in my tribe's language. Only Sir Aaron knew of it, which is why you haven't heard of it until now."_

_ "Very well, Blaidd," she stumbled over the name, unused to it. "Good night." she closed the door softly behind her._

_ "Good night, Lady Ilene."_

Lady Ilene pushed the memory aside and back to the scene at hand. It was ironic in a way, that once Blaidd had ran from those who hunted him and now he finally confronted them and his fears, at the cost of his own life. She went to Ash slowly, stepping around the corpse's of some guards. She gently placed a hand on Ash's shoulder, breaking him from his grief. "We'll need to get him away from here, where we can clean him up and prepare for the funeral."

Ash looked up at her, his face red and blotchy, then back to Blaidd. His face, though pale with death, was calm and serene as a faint smile sat on his face. "Alright," he whispered. He went to brush a strand of hair from Blaidd's face when it began to glow with a golden sheen. Ash jumped away from Blaidd's corpse, startled.

_"My gift to you," _A voice echoed in the room. To Ash, it sound eerily familiar, but he couldn't place it. The golden sheen grew brighter and brighter, until he could no longer see Blaidd. It lasted for a few heartbeats, then went away. Blaidd was no longer there, but instead, the body of a lucario took his place. The dagger that had been in Blaidd's side was now sitting by the lucario on the tile. The lucario looked young, but weathered by the ravages of time. Lighter streaks of blue fur covered the areas where Blaidd's wounds once were, Ash realized.

_ "Could it be...?" _Ash wondered. The lucario sat upright, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He gasped in amazement as be gawked at his paws. Lucario patted himself down, feeling the fur. He grabbed his snout, then his ears. He began to weep in happiness.

"I'm me," he breathed. "I'm really me." His hand flew to his throat as he said those words. It would seem that Arceus let him keep the gift of speech.

Max danced up and down. "I knew it! I knew it! You _are_ Lucario!"

"A Lucario?" Ash asked.

The Lucario turned to Ash. "You don't remember me? After all this time I've traveled alongside you?"

Recognition dawned on Ash's face. "Wait, you're Blaidd? You were a Lucario all this time?"

"I'm so confused," Drew said, still nursing the headache he had obtained.

"You said it," Misty agreed.

Blaidd chuckled, clenching and unclenching his paws. "Not only that, but I am Sir Aaron's Lucario." Seeing the bafflement on Ash's face, he smiled broadly. "Don't worry, I will explain it in good time. Now, I would just like to get some rest." Blaidd stood up slowly, stumbling only a little, unsure of his footsteps. After walking like a human for so long, he was having difficulty walking on his footpads like a normal Lucario. Ash steadied him. "There is a room in one of the towers up that way," he pointed. Ash helped Blaidd back to the room, with the others trailing behind.

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Archer paced the office of the transport freighter, angry and bitter at the horrendous loss at the bridge. The battle, which was tipped in their favor, had been overturned by the actions of one pokemon, what pokemon it was, he wasn't sure, but it was powerful enough to light nearly the entire bridge on fire, decimating his army. All was not lost though; Stella had arrived at the frigate shortly after Archer had, tired and with a broken kneecap. She had faced off against Blaidd and mortally wounded him, using his own knife in a stoke of irony. She confessed that she didn't have the location, nor the boy, but she had destroyed his teacher, leaving him vulnerable to outside influences.

"He should be relatively easy to track now that he is one of the very few living people that practices Aura now," Stella explained. "Blaidd is gone, leaving him easy prey for us."

Archer stopped pacing for a moment to glare at Stella. "Blaidd may be gone as you say, but we still don't have the location of Sir Aaron's tomb, nor do we have the boy. And you consider this a success!" he roared. Stella shrank back from him, edging near the door. Archer paused for a moment, contemplative. "And if he discovered the location of his tomb, he would be able to lead us there," he mused quietly to himself. "We may have lost the battle, but we have in no way lost the war." He dismissed Stella. "Leave me," he commanded. She duly left the room. When it was quiet again, Captain Archer tilted his head upwards and laughed.

"Oh yes, Ash," he chortled. "You think you may have won now, but when this is done, I would have won the real prize."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Charizard landed in the courtyard of Cameran Palace and Gary and Dawn stepped off the fearsome beast, their steps a little unsteady. The night sky had already begun to lighten with the first traces of dawn. While he couldn't see the carnage in the light, they could hear the moans, the cries, he could smell the scent of death and carnage, the sickly sweet and coppery tang of blood leaving a foul taste in Gary's mouth. Charizard chuffed in pain and Dawn turned to the dragon. She felt the arrows in the mighty dragon and her face fell.

"He's hurt," she said, tugging slightly on one of the arrows. Charizard roared in anguish."He needs help right away!" she shouted, drawing the attention of a few of the trainers. A couple ran over to Charizard, one of the trainers summoning a blissey. Dawn guided Charizard to the pair, and they went off to tend to Charizard's wounds. Gary watched them and pulled out Charizard's pokeball. He suspected that they would need the ball sometime soon, but with Dawn there, Charizard should be cooperative, mostly. Dawn wasn't exactly Ash.

"Speaking of Ash..." Gary muttered. He stopped a person, who looked like he worked in the castle. "Hey, hey you! Have you seen a guy named Ash?" he asked, grabbing the person's arm. "He has a Pikachu and he was traveling with a guy named 'Blaidd', or 'Faith' or something like that. Oh and he was with a redheaded chick and a guy with squinty eyes. I can't remember the other people though."

The person nodded, much to Gary's relief. "Oh yes, I know who you're talking about. He's in the castle, resting. He's had such a long night," she cooed to herself. She eyed Gary up and down. "I don't remember you being at the battle. Are you one of the trainers?"

"Nope. I was the guy who turned the bridge into an impromptu fireworks display," Gary said, cocky.

Her eyes got wide. "Oh! That was you?" She grabbed Gary's hand, shaking it vigorously. "Then on the behalf of the residents of Rota, we thank you for your bravery and saving countless lives."

Gary flushed. "Um, thank you, but I did sort of have help," he added, knowing that if Dawn got wind of this, she would be miffed that he didn't include her. "Now, can I go see Ash?" he asked, getting impatient.

"Oh sorry, I'll take you to him right away." She tugged Gary's arm, nearly dragging him across the battlefield.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Gary found Ash starring out a window, his features calm, but Gary could see the anxiety and turmoil churning underneath the facade. Hie eyes looked haunted, like he had seen too much, or the jaded soldier tired after years of fighting. Ash was dressed in white clothing, with a bandage wrapped around his left hand. Pikachu tugged on Ash's sleeve, pointing.

"Pi-Pikachu!" Ash turned to face Gary.

"Gary, what are you doing here?" Ash said, astonished.

Gary shrugged. "It is a long story. How are you doing?"

"Hm? I'm fine." Ash turned back to the window. "You know," he began. "I used to think that the world was an innocent place. Sure, I had my share of bad guys and villains, but after today, I don't think I could ever look at anybody the same way again. They wanted to kill me, kill me!, and they were willing to kill anybody that stood in their way, including Blaidd." Ash shot a sidelong glance at the room where Blaidd was resting. Blaidd's wounds had fully healed when he had been revived, but he still suffered the effects of his overexertion. Aura had a nasty way of depleting energy from a person, especially at the volume Blaidd did. "The world is a dark and nasty place and I guess that that innocence that I had once seen is now gone, kind of like tarnished metal. Like the metal can be shiny for a time, but after a while, the shininess is replaced with grime and tarnish. The world has become, dirty." Ash halted. "Guess I can't find the right words for it."

Gary nodded "I understand. But just because its dirty doesn't mean it's bad. You've met lots of nice people as the time passed and while you may have encountered some bad people, the good outweighed the bad, right? As kids, we never really saw the world the way the adults did. We never worried about war, or the bills, or crime. We were just kids you know. And now we're adults and for the first time our eyes have opened, but that doesn't mean you should give up on the world. Just find the good in it, the silver lining." Gary rolled his eyes as he finished. "Man, I sound so _cheesy_."

Ash laughed. "Yeah, you kind of did back there. Since when were you the philosophical guy?"

"When I hung out with a grandpa that composes haikus. And the fact that you get a little lonely when you're traveling by yourself. Gives you plenty of time to think."

"I didn't know you could even think," Ash countered and Gary glowered. The tension in the room eased a bit and Ash felt a little better about himself. "Well, as cheesy as it was, it helped a bit. Thanks man."

"No prob," Gary leaned back on the wall. He felt something push in his pocket and he suddenly remembered. He pulled out Charizard's pokeball and he tossed it to Ash, who caught it with his unbandaged hand. "Here's Charizard's ball. Dawn and I had to hitch a ride up here. He saved your butt you know, just take a look outside."

" Thanks. Is Charizard in the ball?"

"Nope. He caught a few arrows during the battle so Dawn's taking care of him. You know, she's really good with pokemon. She sort of reminds me of you."

"I'll take that as a compliment, I think." Ash then threw a sly look at Gary. "Does somebody have a bit of a crush on a certain coordinator?"

"No!" Gary blustered, saying it a little too soon.

Ash rolled his eyes. "Riiight." Gary snorted and the pair spent the evening looking out at the sun rising over the eastern peaks of Kanto.

Ash realized something that morning as the sun started to rise over the horizon. The world was a dark and scary place, filled with villains and darkness around every corner and he had grown up. Innocence was now gone, but there would always be the glimmer of hope, with his friends and pokemon at his side. He could always push through the darkness; he may not be able to fully banish it, but he can diminish the darkness, push it away.

And he would have the Aura to light the way.

**And that my friends, is the conclusion of the first 'book' of the Aura Rising Trilogy, _Revival_. The story will continue in the second book _Shaman of Blue Flame_, where Ash learns that enemies and allies can lurk everywhere and legends can truly come to life upon the desert sands of Orre. While there wasn't as much romance here, there will be in the second book and third. So, be on the look out for book two and for some I would highly recommend setting author alert or something else along those lines. **

** Many Thanks to those who reviewed, favorited, placed on Alert, etc., this story and to those who didn't review, but still liked it, I thank you too. Your support helped make this story possible and inspired me to finish it through, despite the slight hiatus...bloody plot bunnies.**

** ~Peace, and may your dreams be guided by dragon wings~**

** Gweniveve Skyes**


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